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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23375704">Riverdale Reader Inserts: Kurtz</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stattic_Scribbles/pseuds/Stattic_Scribbles'>Stattic_Scribbles</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Archie Comics, Archie Comics &amp; Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dark, Multi, Smut, i gave kurtz a backstory, i mean its riverdale so like not that dark, sorta - Freeform, the backstory is chapter 6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:48:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23375704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stattic_Scribbles/pseuds/Stattic_Scribbles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Reader Inserts posted from my Tumblr based on Kurtz/Reader, request are always open, please send them through tumblr here: <br/>https://stattic-writes.tumblr.com/post/184300196529/guidelines</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kurtz (Riverdale)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Misread</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Betty Cooper introduces herself as Riverdale Highs unofficial welcoming committee, Veronica Lodge by her side assuring you she knows what it’s like to be new to this town. You smile at both of them, letting them lead you around the school.<br/>“You were in Centerville before this right?”<br/>“Yes, but I grew up on the Southside, my parent’s moved after Jason got shot, I didn’t know Southside High was shut down, that was a shock.” You laugh a little as Betty points out your classrooms.<br/>“Well we usually eat lunch in the student lounge since it’s a bit cold out, you’re welcome to join us. We have quiet a few more friends for you to meet.” Betty beams and you nod.</p><p> </p><p>You’re nervously eyeing the Serpents and Veronica pats your shoulder.<br/>“They’re harmless, nothing to worry about.” You nod, both to the Serpents and to Veronica; pulling out part of your lunch, about to eat it before you look up and watch the doorway.<br/>“Kurtz?” You sit up slightly and he turns, face shocked before he smiles walking over to you as you stand up.<br/>“Hey Y/N. What are you doing here?”<br/>“You know each other?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?” You watch as Jughead seems more shocked to see Kurtz talking to you.<br/>“We go way back, grew up together. You hear anything from dad?” He tilts his head at you and you shake yours.<br/>“No, he’s still up on that job.” Kurtz nods, shrugging slightly towards the group of Serpent’s<br/>“These are, acquaintances..” He hesitates as Jughead and the Serpent’s nod.<br/>“Wow you have friends?” He looks at the ground and you see two of the Serpent’s roll their eyes.<br/>“I’m Fangs.” You recognize the name, from the brief summary Veronica had given you of the drama that had been happening.</p><p> </p><p>“I heard you tried to kill him. What happened?”<br/>“No it wasn’t like that we were-“<br/>“What happened?” Kurtz swallows.<br/>“I dropped him from the second floor.”<br/>“Did you apologize, at the least?”<br/>“No I-“ You arch an eyebrow and he swallows cringing.<br/>“I’m sorry Fangs.”<br/>“That’s not a proper one.” You arch your eyebrow again and he scowls, sighing as he gets on his knees grabbing Fang’s shirt.<br/>“Please forgive me. I’m sorry for trying to kill you.” Fangs nods as Kurtz stands, his hand brushing against yours.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you feel better now?” He snorts and you roll your eyes as he pulls you into a hug, face against your neck.<br/>“I missed you.” He sighs against you nodding, and you look expectantly at him.<br/>“Well who’re these Serpent’s you’ve cozied up with; I can’t just name them based on how they look like you used to with all of dad’s friends.” You smirk as they narrow their eyes at Kurtz.<br/>“Ooh look it’s neck boy; you’re right he is tall enough to climb like a tree.”<br/>“Sweet Pea.” He holds his hand out and you smile.<br/>“Y/N, pleasure.” You name each of the serpents, they seem to take their nicknames in stride and welcome you into their group as Kurtz had been.</p><p> </p><p>“Y/N Walters.” You raise your hand, you can tell someone is watching you but you ignore it.<br/>“They’re siblings, I swear. I think Y/N got taken when their parents divorced or something, like one went with their mom and the other with their dad.” Betty hisses as you walk by. You try your best to keep a straight face, but you text Kurtz to let him know what his friends seem to think. He meets you outside, letting you climb on the back of his bike. He mumbles how Jughead had been grilling him about his family, his past, he’s relieved to know Betty’s suspicions the source of the questioning.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh like you would have gotten in trouble for anything else.” You know you’re far enough from the school when he kisses you on the cheek.<br/>“Do you want to tell them?” You laugh shaking your head.<br/>“I wanna see how long it takes them to figure out. Here, necklaces will be harder to spot.”<br/>“Don’t you think that’s unfair to them?” He asks as he slides his ring off his finger, looping it around the chain on his neck as you do the same.<br/>“If they’re smart enough to solve a murder I think they can figure out we’re not related.”</p><p> </p><p>You’ve been roped into joining the River Vixen’s you’re a little surprised but you settle into the routine fairly easily. You like the exercise well enough and it gives you an out to the regular gym classes. Kurtz however seems extremely bothered.<br/>“What?” You ask, finally snapping as he glares at the folded uniform in your hands.<br/>“Cheerleading is stupid.” He shrugs and you shake your head.<br/>“Come one, what is it.”<br/>“It’s distracting.” You scoff at his excuse.<br/>“Distracting from what? Are you secretly he star football player? Or covering the games for the blue and gold? What could you possibly be distracted from? Being a good Christian kid?” You snicker as Kurtz wraps his arms around you pulling you against his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the one who didn’t want to be public about our relationship.”<br/>“Kurtz that was when we were in middle school and half of the class still thought girls had cooties!” He laughs nodding.<br/>“So?”<br/>“So? Be as public as you want. Just no indecency.”<br/>“But indecency is the most fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not getting kicked out of Riverdale High cause you want to see what’s under my cheer skirt.” You roll your eyes when he pouts. He nudges the skirt and you shake your head.<br/>“It’s not even that big a deal, you wouldn’t get kicked out for hiking it up slightly too high or anything.” He‘s half serious and you shake your head, knowing he’s joking; the bell rings and as he turns to go to his next class you brush by him, smirking.<br/>“Besides, you just assumed I’d wear anything under it anyways.” You can hear him choke at the end of the hallway when he realizes what you meant.</p><p> </p><p>You’re not trying to hide it but still the panic that shoots through you when you hear some clear their throat is unavoidable. You know you weren’t being discreet, curled on Kurtz lap in the student lounge kissing him was about as public as you could get besides going at in the middle of class. You shiver slightly watching as Jughead glares at the two of you. Kurtz nudges you behind him and you peer from around his shoulder, his arm snaking around your waist.<br/>“What Jones?”<br/>“You two are related.” He states nodding and you can see the rest of the Serpents and his other friends gathering around. You roll your eyes.<br/>“We really taking advice from Mr. I’m dating my half sister?” Jughead narrows his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You two are siblings, brother and sister, you have the same last name and I can’t count the number of times we’ve heard you both refer to your dad.” You bite down a laugh as he rants.<br/>“Do you want to tell him or should I?”<br/>“Tell me what?”<br/>“When I say dad, I mean my father in law.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re not siblings, we’re married.” You chime in and everyone stares, turning to Kurtz.<br/>“You’re married!??!”<br/>“Yes? Why do you guys think I never dated anyone..”<br/>“How did you even-“<br/>“You go down to the court and sign the certificate? We both had parental permission and the judge agreed, it’s totally legal.”<br/>“Why though?!?!”<br/>“I love her? I’d like to spend the rest of my life with her” He shrugs at them and you loop your arm in his.<br/>“Why is that so surprising?” He asks and Jughead shrugs. Sweet Pea speaks up.<br/>“Just never thought you’d find someone so well normal.”<br/>“Should I be offended?” You ask and Kurtz shakes his head.<br/>“I wasn’t exactly;” He waves his hands and you frown.<br/>“He was acting psycho, completely believing into the whole Gryphons and Gargoyle’s nonsense.”<br/>“That game we used to play? Aww did you miss me that much? You never let me be game master I remember I got so mad I tried to burn the rule book.”<br/>“Who’d you play then?” Jughead asks out of curiosity.<br/>“The Red Paladin.” You smile back confused when they all look horrified.<br/>“What am I missing then?” You turn to Kurtz who shakes his head.<br/>“There was a Quest, to kill the red paladin.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Graffiti</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader keeps a journal with art/writing/etc and one night she meets Kurtz</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t as if the abandoned house was hard to find, but you’d never seen anyone in it, or any signs someone else had the same idea as you.  Your parents had been drinking as usual but with the sudden closing of Southside your stress levels shot through the roof and you knew it was best to just avoid them.</p><p> </p><p>You shimmy through the window, journal in hand, as you settle into the opposite wall, the wall itself had caved in leaving a large area to let the moon shine through. You let yourself get lost in the sketch you had planned earlier; it was a rough idea of the lunchroom from Southside, the caged area; where the Ghoulies settled on one side, the Serpent’s on the other. You blur the faces, scribbling shadows over them, and warping the Serpent and Ghoulies logo’s to meld into each other.</p><p> </p><p>“That looks good.” You don’t scream, smacking the figure next to you with your journal. He laughs smiling at you as he sits next to you.<br/>“Sorry, that was rude. Nice hit by the way, almost as good as your drawings, which are almost as pretty as you.”<br/>“You realize how creepy this is right?”<br/>“Strange girl sitting in an abandoned house, drawing. Yeah a bit creepy.” He smirks and you roll your eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you think you were the only one who knows about this place? The Ghoulies and the Serpents having meetings here. Of course they come in the day; what about you?”<br/>“What about me?”<br/>“Why are you here?”<br/>“Y/N, I’m here to get away from my parent’s they’re-“<br/>“Kurtz, lemme guess they drink? I’m here cause my friends are being dicks.”<br/>“Want to talk about it?” He shakes his head and you nudge him with your hand.<br/>“Come on, I hear that creepy girls in abandoned houses make great therapists.” You wink and he laughs.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re just;” He shrugs turning to his backpack and pulling out a group of spray cans.<br/>“Isn’t that property damage?” You not to where he moves some of the rubble away. He pulls a bandana out and hands it to you, pointing to the one that’s covering his face.<br/>“Isn’t this trespassing?” He gestures to you both of you and you roll your eyes, closing your journal.<br/>“Want to try?”<br/>“Don’t think I’d be any good.”<br/>“It’s the same as that, just paint.”<br/>“Those are two different-“ You freeze when he wraps his arm around you pulling you against his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Shh, wait.” He mumbles into your ear and you try your best not to breathe as footsteps sound around the side of the house. As they fade he walks with you towards the door.<br/>“You should head back, wouldn’t want you to get caught up in prison, hear they aren’t nice to pretty girls.” He laughs nodding to the fence that you’d scaled. You nod back smiling under the bandana as he shoves you slightly harder towards the fence.</p><p>————————————————————————————–<br/>It probably wasn’t a good idea staying up till three am, but when you’d returned home you realized you’d left your journal, the thought of returning and getting caught by whoever was wandering around isn’t appealing. You’d still spent an hour combing through your room trying to convince yourself it had fallen under your bed some how. You reason you can go get it tonight, and you decide you’ll grab it after school. You make sure to put a blank one in your bag for school.</p><p> </p><p>You’ve managed not to fall asleep in any of your classes but you can feel yourself slowly giving into the exhaustion.<br/>“Y/N! Hey, come on, can’t you at least pretend to be interested.”<br/>“Sorry I’m just tired.” You try to smile and your friend rolls her eyes.<br/>“Nevermind, it’s not important.”<br/>“Come on, finish the story, it was interesting I swear I just had a late night last night.” You nod to her and she smiles fondly.<br/>“Okay so-“ She pauses and you tap her forehead.<br/>“What? Did you forget what you were-“</p><p> </p><p>“Y/N; you forgot this last night.” You turn, seeing Kurtz standing behind you holding your journal out. He tilts his head and you realize you were staring, you hadn’t thought to connect Kurtz from last night to the only other Kurtz you knew of. The Ghoulie who went off the edge on Jangle and then joined the Serpents.<br/>“Oh, hey. Thanks.” You smile pulling your journal back to your chest.<br/>“You look tired.” He nods to you before he turns and wanders off. You turn back to apologize, finding your friend has vanished; you can see the Serpent’s watching you from the corner of your eye as Kurtz returns towards them. They don’t question him and you thumb through your journal deciding nothing’s missing or marked on from what you can see so you tuck it into your bag.</p><p> </p><p>You’re walking home, the trailer park not far when a motorcycle slows down enough for the rider to toss a helmet at you. You scowl catching it, watching as Kurtz flicks his visor up.<br/>“Need a ride home?” You nod, about to direct him to your house but he speeds off leaving you clinging to him.<br/>“My place, if you don’t mind?” You shrug.<br/>“Not like I have much of a choice.”<br/>“Sorry.” He looks upset at himself. “Just thought it was better to talk away from school, or your parents. Most adults don’t like me.”<br/>“Talk about what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Your art, the writing and poems. They were- Hey!”He shouts when you smack him. “I didn’t mean to look through it, it fell open when I was running home. I caught part of a journal entry. It was, here-“ He tugs the journal from your bag thumbing through it; he has a faint smile on his face.<br/>“He’s staring at them again. I don’t think he realizes what he’s doing. I thought the Ghoul’s were meant to be a family like them, but judging by his face, the anguish he shows when he looks away from the Serpents, the Ghouls are nothing like he wants.’ It’s so poetic, and true, plus the drawings are nice.” He holds it out to you, the journal entry accompanied by a handful of half finished sketches of him, his face, and his hand sweeping his hair from his eyes. A sketch of him glaring, someone else’s hand on his jacket. You brush your finger over the number scribbled in the corner, looking up to him. He grins.</p><p> </p><p>“Just in case you didn’t take me up on the ride.” You laugh shaking your head.<br/>“Well we can see I did, so no need for that.”<br/>“Well there’s plenty need for it, just not on the paper.” He looks towards your phone half out of your pocket and you roll your eyes pulling it out and plugging the number into it.<br/>“Happy?” You wait for a response, instead a text chime alerts and you look down at your phone<br/>-Yes. You free? I hear Pop’s does good food.- You look back up to Kurtz who smirks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Quest Card</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader is part of the Gargoyles and has been chosen to be part of a quest that Kurtz has to complete</p><p>TW: smut, hints of threatening actions (if you squint)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: smut, hints of threatening actions (if you squint)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kurtz doesn’t look up from where he kneels at the Gargoyle Kings feet. The woman in red is next to him smirking.<br/>“Game Master, while you have served me well there is a quest that needs your attention-“ she pauses raising her hand to silence how his mouth twitches.<br/>“You must deal with this new party member. She has a special quest; that only you two are involved in.” She gestures to the rest of the masked Gargoyles; they step aside and you scramble forward not looking at her or the King next to her.<br/>“Meet our Thief.” She smiles to you and you nod. The woman departs and the King hisses as he leaves. Kurtz stands and the rest of the Gargoyles depart.<br/>“Hello Game Master.” You smile softly and he smirks back. You pull out the card.</p><p> </p><p>“Your Quest Thief?” You don’t respond, re-reading the quest and turning the card over twice before reading it once more.<br/>“Well Thief?” You swallow looking him in the eyes nervously.<br/>“Thief?” He sounds concerned and you shove the card towards him.<br/>“It’s Y/N.”<br/>“Satisfy the Game Master. Well how are you to do that Y/N?” He smirks again and you run your fingers around the edges of the card shivering as he says your name.<br/>“However you want me to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good answer. Follow me.” He leads you away from the camp area, and you’re expecting to go towards the bus that you know he spends time at, instead he brings you slightly further into the forest, and nudges you forward towards what looks to be a manhole in the middle of the clearing.<br/>“It’s a bunker, much better than the bus, and much better than the forest floor; unless you’re into that.”<br/>“A bunker?”<br/>“It belongs to a; friend. He won’t mind, I assure you.” You nod stepping towards the cover and moving to tug it off; confused when he watches you for a moment.<br/>“Yes?” You question and he shakes his head.<br/>“Nothing, let me help.” He moves forward; you step out of the way and he nods to the now open bunker door.<br/>“There’s a ladder.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I’m relieved we don’t have to jump.” You talk as you climb down. You make it to the floor of the bunker and walk up and down the length of it surprised how well fitted out it is.<br/>“This is nice looking.”<br/>“Yes, you are.”<br/>“Oh so it’s that kind of a satisfying then?” You arch an eyebrow and watch as he scoffs.<br/>“Did you think I brought you down here to play house with me?”<br/>“Well I thought there’d be a few more pleasantries before that began Kurtz.”<br/>“Oh you do know my name, good. You’ll need to use it in a few.” He sits on the cot and smirks again.<br/>“Strip.” He hums and you glare at him.<br/>“I don’t-“<br/>“Satisfy your Game Master.”You sigh nodding.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t seem to actually fight back; you know I won’t hurt you right? That this is really fucked up even by my standards.”<br/>“I know; this is helped greatly that I have a crush on you.”<br/>“You have a crush on me?” Kurtz laughs and you scowl.<br/>“I’m starting to rethink it if this is how the infamous Game Master behaves.”<br/>Kurtz sighs shaking his head.<br/>“Come sit.” He nods to the cot scooting over. You drape yourself across his lap smirking.<br/>“To be honest all this Gryphons and Gargoyle’s stuff is starting to bore me. You’re the only interesting thing about it little Thief.” You tilt your head as he pulls you in for a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s the most valuable thing you’ve stolen then? Who’s riches did you take?” You laugh shaking your head before you pull back taking your top off.<br/>“That’s the mistake everyone makes. I’m not a thief of the physical. I steal secrets.” He pulls you back after taking his own shirt off, you grind your hips against him and he returns the action unhooking your bra. You sit making out for a moment, moving your bodies as one before he moves his head slightly lower to leave hickeys and bite marks on your neck and chest.<br/>“And what will you take from me then Thief?” He grins as you shift, moving back to step out of your skirt and underwear.</p><p> </p><p>“What will you give me?” Your hands drift around him, settling one against his back and the other on his hip steadying yourself.  You stay like this for a moment, you’re completely naked but you don’t feel exposed as his hand snakes against your back pulling you closer to him for a second before he shifts, flipping you so you land on the cot, the quilt barely doing anything to soften the roughness of the cot’s mattress. He hovers at the edge of the cot pulling down his pants and boxers watching you.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want this?” He hesitates and you roll your eyes.<br/>“You really think I would’ve come all the way down here with you if I didn’t want it?” Kurtz tilts his head laughing slightly.<br/>“Do you really think you had a choice?” He crawls on top of you.<br/>“That the other gargoyles would let you leave? That the king would let you get away? Maybe the lady in red would have, she has a soft spot for girls; but the rest of them; they would have made sure your quest was fulfilled or killed you otherwise.”<br/>“And you?” You stare him down and he laughs more.<br/>“What I do, as the Game Master is none of your business Thief.” You can’t help the panic that fills your eyes and he pulls back.</p><p> </p><p>“Like I said earlier the Gryphons and Gargoyles is boring me, but you, you’re interesting. I like interesting. Shall we?” He smirks nodding towards you. He doesn’t give you anymore warning than that before his hand pulls against your hips, fingers rubbing against your core and clit smirking.<br/>“Are you sure about this?” He repeats again and you nod. He nods back, fingers entering you and moving in and out for a few moments. You whine as he tugs them away and he rolls his eyes.<br/>“This isn’t about you right now. Don’t be greedy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right now, so what about later?” You question and he doesn’t respond simply moving his dick to line up against you, using both his pre-come and your wetness to ease himself into you. He leans his head down to kiss you, fully moving inside you, as he pulls back from the kiss he pull himself out before re-entering you starting to move his hips faster setting a pattern for himself.<br/>You moan softly confused when he puts a hand over your mouth, before leaning down to speaking your ear.<br/>“I want to see how long you can be quiet for. Can you do that?” You nod and he smiles.<br/>“Good; it’s nice to see a player so eager to follow the rules.” You flush embarrassed and he laughs. You sigh through your nose, biting on your lip as he moves faster.</p><p> </p><p>“Barely done anything and it already seems like you’re losing. What if we raise the stakes, hm? You like that idea Thief?” You tilt your head arching an eyebrow and he smirks.<br/>“You can stay quiet for the next minute; I’ll tell you anything you want to know, anything at all. Sound good?” You nod and he wiggles his eyebrows.<br/>“Count in your head then. Just sixty seconds is all.” You nod, starting a count down from sixty, you figure that’ll be harder to break your concentration on. You’re down to 50 when Kurtz’s thumb brushes against your clit, you buck your hips slightly and he smirks. You gasp slightly when he moves his thumb faster, slightly harsher against it, still moving himself in and out of you at the pace he’s set. You can taste blood from where you bite your lip trying not to make a sound.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you close?” He hums and you nod, squeezing your eyes shut unsure if he means to the time restraint he’s put over you or your own orgasm.<br/>“Like I said earlier, this isn’t about you.” He laughs, his thumb pulling away and his now free hand pulling your head up slightly to kiss you. You can feel him speeding up, your kissing swallow a faint groan from him.</p><p> </p><p>“Time’s up.” You mumble and he smiles as he kisses you again. While he’s not moving any faster you watch the way his face changes slightly, you nudge his head back down kissing him. One of his hands tangles in your hair tugging slightly do he can move his mouth down giving you a very obvious hickey on your neck. You whine, each time he’s thrusting into you he’s barely touching off of your clit and you pout as you can tell he’s getting closer to coming. You squirm under him trying to gain more friction other that the minimal amount he seems to be teasing with you. You can’t help shiver when you feel him finish. You frown when he moves out of you, laying down on the cot, smirk on his face. You glare looking him in the eye as you straddle him.</p><p> </p><p>“What? Oh do you want to ask whatever it is you want to know? Or is this annoyance for something different?”<br/>“Different.” He nods  looking unimpressed.<br/>“You barely did anything to me, it was disappointing.”<br/>“The quest was for you to satisfy me, nothing about you beyond that.” You narrow your eyes  crawling off of him.<br/>“Where are you going?”<br/>“Home, if you’re not going to offer me anything, I’ll collect my payment later.”<br/>“Whoa wait, no, stay.” He glares standing up and pulling you back towards the cot. You smile a little when he awkwardly ends up hugging you.<br/>“You know I used to be in the Ghoulies, before I was a Gargoyle right?” You nod arching an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“What does that have to do with you actually fucking me.” Kurtz smirks.<br/>“Well you know the rumours about  the Ghoulies right?” He nudges you to the cot; you sit on it and he kneels in front of you.<br/>“I haven’t. Wasn’t much into the whole gang thing before G&amp;G.” Kurtz smirks nudging your legs open more, head resting on your knee.<br/>“We were cannibals; do you want me to show you?”<br/>“Really, cannibals, sounds horrifying.” You laugh a little and Kurtz smirks kissing up your thigh.<br/>“So is that a yes?”<br/>“I’d love for you to show me what kind of cannibal you are.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Heathers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If Kurtz was JD in Heathers</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’re not sure what to expect; all your friend had said was the Bulldogs knew how to have a wicked good time and you’re not expecting any less when she brings you to a mansion of a house where you can already hear music and laughter streaming from it. You’re laughing, having been given at least four jello shots and some sort of Jangle infused drink; you’re pretty sure it was watered down vodka mixed with Jangle but either way you can tell you’re not sober when the Riverdale kids seem to crowd the front door.</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus fucking christ!” You can see the Serpent’s all in black and you make your way forward watching as Lance, the head Ghoulie grins from the doorway.<br/>“Leave.” You’re not sure how they can hear each other but you know the alcohol and jangle thrumming in your system is responsible.<br/>“I didn’t realize the Serpent’s went soft; and pink too. You should let him in, isn’t your whole thing acceptance?” You looking the girl in the pink sweater up and down laughing before you nudge her out of the way. You don’t mean for her to trip but she does stumbling backwards and you watch the Serpent’s advance. Lance pulls you behind him and you roll your eyes.<br/>“I’m fine Lance.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay.” He smirks spinning you around where you vomit onto the ground and half of the pink girls jeans.<br/>————————————————————————————-</p><p>“Holy shit!”<br/>“One of the Ghoulies is getting the shit beat outta him!!!” You glance nervously around, you know that Lance hadn’t been transferred over to Riverdale and you wonder who they’re talking about.<br/>You make your way to the lunchroom, frozen as the ghoulie is in the middle, hands up, one of the Bulldogs pinning him onto the table by the throat; the grin on his face is worrying, stretching in the way that hints he knows something the Bulldogs don’t.<br/>“Holy fuck.” You watch as he twists to the side, foot hooked behind the Bulldogs leg so when he moves it sends him toppling to the ground. He stands brushing his leather jacket off smirking.</p><p> </p><p>You watch the rest of the students milling around before you turn your attention to where the Ghoulie is leaning over the stairwell where he winks at you.<br/>“You wanna see a snake fly?” You frown looking up confused before he hauls up Fangs Fogarty and dangles him half off the second story landing.<br/>“Fuck this is gonna-“ You’re shoved out of the way as Fangs is dropped, Jughead and Sweet Pea coming to his rescue. You watch the look on the Ghoulies face; he seems angry; you’re not sure if its cause he didn’t kill Fangs or if its cause you were shoved.<br/>He finds you moments later pulling you with surprising softness towards the chemistry room; where upon inspection in the hazard shower’s mirror you find you have a scrape on the side of your face and he has bruised knuckles and a split lip.</p><p> </p><p>“I can help?” He nods grinning as he lets you clean the blood from his knuckles.<br/>“Thank you.”He grins and you shrug.<br/>“It’s nothing I took a summer CPR and first aid course.”<br/>“Huh really?”<br/>“Did you take it too?”<br/>“No that’s just really useful; considering I spent the summer getting the shit beat outta me.”</p><p>——————————————————————————<br/>“Kurtz?” You question and he smiles at you from where you’ve walked into Pop’s<br/>“You okay?”<br/>“Course.”<br/>“You’ve been here before?” You nudge his foot off the side of the booth and slide into it.<br/>“No; they’re all the same.”<br/>“Milkshakes?” You gesture to the three empty glasses.<br/>“No; small towns.”<br/>“Oh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Been through too many to pay attention them anymore; you’re the only thing that’s caught my attention.” Kurtz stand grabbing what you assume is a to go shake and waltzing outside, you follow.<br/>“Kurtz?”<br/>“I’m fine.”<br/>“How many of those have you had?”You watch as he empties three jangle tubes into his shake.<br/>“Two besides these three. Assuming you mean the Jangle not the shakes.” He grins and you nod.<br/>“Jesus, how do you hide that from your parents?”</p><p> </p><p>“My what?” He laughs. Pulling you against him offering the shake out. You shake your head.<br/>“What happened?”<br/>“To me? Or them?”<br/>“Both?”you question and he shrugs.<br/>“They got too into drugs; couldn’t pay back there dealer; he’s my uncle now; we move around a lot. Hence the diner’s.”<br/>“What about them.”<br/>“They’re always the same; it’s a comfort.”<br/>“So what you’ll just wait till you move and drain the next one of all of it’s shakes?” He grins shaking his head.<br/>“Don’t wanna leave now; not with you here.”</p><p>———————————————————————-<br/>“Hey Jones, you fall off your bike or something?. Didn’t take you for a klutz.” You call out laughing when you point to the scar on his shoulder. Betty narrows her eyes at you.<br/>“You’re a ghoul right? You should know all about how that happened.” She snarls and you tilt your head.<br/>“I wasn’t aware the Ghouls were still in business, let alone threatening a teenager like myself.”<br/>“You better watch it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or what you’ll get the snakes to beat me up? What is that ten against one, yikes not good odds, betcha you’d make bank on bets though.” You watch the way Betty smirks and you remember she practically owns the Blue and Gold as well as the River Vixens.<br/>“I’ve told you to stay in your lane before.”<br/>“Seems like my lane is getting small and smaller these days.” You bite back and she nods.</p><p> </p><p>“Watch it.” Cheryl grins like a shark and you slink out of school after practice wandering around until you spot Kurtz in Pop’s window.<br/>“Hey.” He looks up smirking.<br/>“Hey. You need something?” Your grin matches his as you pull his burger over.<br/>“Food I’m starved and Cooper’s gonna kill me tomorrow.”<br/>“Last meal then.” You grin at him. He laughs nodding. You leave after eating half of his food and wander around town until you decide you shouldn’t just wait to die.</p><p> </p><p>When you make it front of a relatively normal looking house you watch for a moment seeing the downstairs light go off and a new light appear on the window to the left, you reason the right is Kurtz room and you climb up the ladder that’s been left on the side of the house.<br/>“Kurtz?” You mumble into the darkness watching as he sits up, light turning on.<br/>“Y/N the fuck you doing in my room.”<br/>“I decided to change my last meal.”<br/>“Oh? To what?”<br/>“You.” He pulls you against him kissing you until you can’t breathe.<br/>“Please Kurtz?” You mumble dragging his hands against your skin and under your clothes.<br/>“Come on; I’m yours.” He swallows anything else you were going to say in a kiss.<br/>—————————————————————————</p><p>“Y/N. You okay?”<br/>“Yeah fine.” You try to shrug off how Kurtz leans over to look at you.<br/>“What happened?” You turn from him shrugging.<br/>“Nothing.”<br/>“Y/N.” You try your best not too look him in his eyes but you can’t help watching as his hand brushes your shoulder and up to your face.<br/>“Come on Y/N, was it the Bulldogs? The Serpents? Who hurt you?” You chew your lip.<br/>“They didn’t mean it Kurtz I swear; it was just at that party before you came in Lance was trying to be funny got me tangled up in the Serpent’s radar for puking on Betty. It’s not a big deal.”<br/>“You have a handprint on your cheek from where someone slapped you. That’s more than enough.” </p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz, please don’t hurt anyone like you tried to hurt Fangs.”<br/>“I won’t. I promise; no hurting anyone like Fangs.”<br/>“How do I know you’ll keep it?” You feel his hand drifting up to your uninjured cheek brushing it softly.<br/>“I love you. I won’t let anything I or anyone else does take you away from me.” You flush when he kisses you. He pulls back calling a boy over.<br/>“Hey Ricky; you know your friend JellyBean? I have a quest for both of you; sound fun?” Kurtz grins and you roll your eyes fondly as he pulls out his G&amp;G book.<br/>“Yeah, can we start now Game Master?”<br/>“Of course. Go wild.” He grins and you laugh Ricky turns.<br/>“Oh is this your princess?” Kurtz nods and you laugh more; turning as Ricky leaves.<br/>“Princess? Have I been missing out on getting spoiled then?” You laugh as he pulls you against him kissing you.</p><p>————————————————————————————<br/>“Kurtz? Jughead said that you were trying to kill his little sister? That she’s missing?” Kurtz turns shaking his head smiling at you.<br/>“No she’s staying at Ricky’s I gave them one of those like two day off board quests. They’re pretty involved.” He smiles pulling you into his arms kissing you.<br/>“Nothing to worry about, now would you be willing to come with me to Pop’s?”<br/>“On a date?” You grin and he nods pulling you closer resting his head on yours.<br/>“Jone’s is gonna say all sorts of nasty shit about me. He and Cooper, and her friends have it out for me. Think it’s cause I used to run with the Ghouls.”<br/>“I’m guessing that’s why I’m preferred dead as well.” You laugh and Kurtz shakes his head in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t a Gargoyle though?”<br/>“Yeah I got out of it after the Ghoul’s went up north. Didn’t want to be without ‘em. Figured I could go back to being a normal high schooler ya know.”<br/>“And look how easily that went out the window.” he nods and you shrug.<br/>“I’ve had worse than some wannabe gang leader calling my boyfriend a kidnapper just cause he doesn’t like his little sister’s new friend.” Kurtz nods kissing you once more.<br/>“Stay with me?”<br/>“Always.” You hum as he gestures to his bike, you swing on it before curling against his back.</p><p>————————————————————————————-<br/>You know you weren’t meant to find out what was actually going on with the Jones’; everything that they were going to suffer through; you hate how fitting it was for them and you can’t help but feel less sorry than you should as you read through the instructions and plans Kurtz had been given and laid out. You read through confused at the addition of a gun; none of the parts of the quest had bothered saying to threaten them; the idea that Jellybean was going to be hurt was more than enough motivation. You get to the last pages something about ascension and you remember Kurtz mentioning it as a sort of prize at the end of the game. You know you shouldn’t be poking around in it; everyone had been saying it was how those kids ended up dead but when you overhear Betty and Jughead talking about it; talking about the suicide does the gun being added click into place.</p><p> </p><p>“Y/N can I ask you something?”You turn where he pauses tracing patterns on your bare shoulder as you sit up from his chest.<br/>“Of course.”<br/>“If I was going to; would you ascend with me?”<br/>“Don’t I have to play the game? When are you planning it?” You laugh a little and he shrugs.<br/>“Just, would you?” He watches and you nod slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course. I want to be with you.” He smiles nodding back and kissing you.<br/>“I love you.”<br/>“I love you too.” You untangle yourself from him in the middle of the night. You hate the idea of going to the Serpent’s but you tap on one of the trailer doors.<br/>“Hey Fang’s right?” You watch the Serpent nod, half asleep.<br/>“Yeah you’re Kurtz-“<br/>“He’s going to try to kill me.”<br/>—————————————————————————————–</p><p>You don’t care that the Serpent’s are staying out of it. You’d thrown together a convincing ‘sleeping body’ in your bed and then returned to following Jones out towards where you knew Jellybean wasn’t. You watch as he pulls the gun nodding towards Jughead. You don’t say anything staying in the shadows and waiting. You watch, they’re talking, it’s taking too long you wonder why Jughead is trying to keep him talking. You watch as he shoves Jughead into the box and locks it. You stumble forward when he raises the gun.<br/>“Kurtz?” He turns frowning.<br/>“Y/N, no you’re not supposed to be here! You should be in bed!”<br/>“So one of the Gargoyles can kill me?”<br/>“No so you don’t have any part in this, so you’re safe!” He shouts and you cringe back.<br/>“Kurtz, just-“ You step closer as he steps back and you pause.</p><p> </p><p>“Please Kurtz; please.” You reach forward and can see him lower the gun slightly, it shakes and you nod.<br/>“Just please put-“ He shoves you down firing into the dark.<br/>“Stay down, don’t move. Please Y/N don’t move.” He mumbles as he shakes you slightly, you assume someone is waiting in the shadows to see the job through, hence why he shot at them. He leans over you pressing his forehead to yours.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry. Just give me a minute okay baby? Just a second I swear; I’ll be back when its safe.” You’re confused when he presses a line of tape over your mouth and steps back. You hear the gun go off once more.<br/>You wonder if he hit anyone.<br/>——————————————————————————-</p><p> “It’ll be okay.” You know he’s talking to you but you don’t bother looking back up to him.<br/>“You’ll be fine; now that this whole Gargoyle king business is over you can go back to actually being a normal high schooler.” He laughs and you turn your head away.<br/>“Y/N? You okay?” You look over to see Jughead and the rest of the Serpents.<br/>“Yeah. Fine.” They don’t say anything just nod and you turn back to watch Kurtz face crinkle in annoyance.<br/>“You shouldn’t hang out with them. Serpent’s are as dumb as a sack of rocks.” He laughs and you shake your head.<br/>“Had more sense than you.”<br/>“Low blow Y/N; Low blow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Should’ve taken your own advice.”<br/>“And what? Shot my heart? I wasn’t about to shoot you.”<br/>“Could grazed your arm; something to shed blood but not;”<br/>“Not what?” Kurtz twists scowling as you start to cry.<br/>“Hey Y/N; you okay? We’re going to get Pop later; you want to come?” You nod turning away from the carved stone and the gargoyle statue that sits in front of it.<br/>“Yeah sounds good.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Ghost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Using the song Ghost by Jacob Lee</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You nudge the window open, letting the sound of the rain offset the music you have faintly playing. You pull the book closer to you, balancing your notebook on the chairs arm as you scribble notes and quote ideas for your english essay. You frown when you smell smoke wrinkling your nose as you stand on the chair about to close the window. You hesitate when you hear talking, nervous about being spotted, you don’t think anyone who’s out back behind the school smoking wants some random person eavesdropping.</p><p> </p><p>You catch the eye of the figure under the window, when you stick your arm out to close it.<br/>“Hey there.” You don’t say anything closing the window sharply; you can hear his laugh muffled now; your face heats up as you try to shake the thought of his smile.<br/>You focus back to your book not moving when the bell rings and ignoring the look from the librarian. You knows she won’t actually kick you out. You’re distracted, humming even though your playlist ended hours ago and you’re halfway through the last chapter when a hand nudges it out of your grip, folding over the corner.<br/>“Missing lunch isn’t healthy.” You freeze at the voice from the boy under the window.</p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz.” He smiles again holding his hand out. You smile back shaking it.<br/>“This is where you tell me your name..” He nods and you jerk back as the Ghoulies pull him away from you.<br/>“Kurtz come on; Lance said the Serpent’s are itching for a fight. You can play later.” James, one of the head Ghoulies shoves him towards the door. He nods turning from you; you watch his smile replaced by a frown and brush it off as him being upset about however he was going to play, you shiver at the implication and tuck your book into your bag; deciding to take his advice and make your way to the lunch room. You settle for breezing by it, hearing the screaming and laughing; you know there’s at least one fight happening.</p><p> </p><p>You keep your head down like usual. Staying in the library whenever you get the chance. You keep the window open where you sit; refusing to admit to yourself you’re hoping to hear more of Kurtz, to find an excuse to talk to him. You catch him smoking and each time he offers you a half smile rolling his eyes when you jerk the window closed. He’d been sick the past few days, or maybe the rain had been too heavy, whatever reason he wasn’t at his usual spot and you tried to mask your disappointment.</p><p> </p><p>You watch a figure stumble in, soaked and dripping on the carpet you watch as they stagger towards the back, near the computer room. You think you can hear them muffle a scream. You stand and move towards the room they most likely went into. You step through the doors watching nervously as a figure slumped against one of the tables looks up.<br/>“Hey.” You frown at how his voice slurs, you wince as you notice the blood on the side of his cheek.<br/>“Don’t worry about it, from the fight in the cafeteria.”<br/>“That was weeks ago.” You speak and he smiles wincing as you can see the cut on his cheek reopens.<br/>“Kurtz, what happened?”<br/>“Nothing.” He leans forward, letting your hand brush against his cheek.<br/>“Let me help?” You half question, pulling a cloth out and wiping is carefully against his cheek.<br/>“Sorry it’s not the best, but that doesn’t look near as bad with that blood gone.” You assure him and he nods.<br/>“Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Y/n. Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream earlier, was that just the pain?”<br/>“Yeah pain.” He seems to tense, you can see it in his shoulders. You nod to him, trying to convey you wont talk more about it.<br/>“It’s nothing just a stupid Ghoul thing.” You hum slightly nodding for him to continue.<br/>“Part of being with them. Have to go against one of the higher members at random times. Lance thought it’d be funny to throw me against Shank.”<br/>“Shank?”<br/>“No one you should concern yourself with.”<br/>“Most would say the same about you, you know that right?” He laughs nodding.<br/>“You want me to look at that later today?”<br/>“You trying to ask to come over?” You look to the ground nodding.<br/>“If you want.”<br/>“We got partnered on that history project anyways.”<br/>“History project?”<br/>“Yeah if you ever went to class you’d know.”<br/>“I go to class, sometimes.” He laughs and you can’t help but smile with pride.</p><p> </p><p>You’re standing by the flag pole nervously watching the group of Ghoulies, you can tell they’re waiting for someone, and when Kurtz steps out they straighten up. Seeing his back you manage to get a proper look at the jacket he sports, black leather all the way around, a few studs against the back, around the patch of a skull wrapped with chains. You frown at the Ghoul mark but wait wondering if he’s going to turn. He doesn’t but you can see him talking, pointing back towards the school. One of the ghouls nods towards you and you look away, you can see Kurtz look back at you and nod, the other Ghoulies shaking there heads and pulling him away. You can see him pull back from them and you try your best not to look to hopeful when he turns towards you. One of them reaches out and tugs him back, looping there arm around him and grinning darkly at you. You can feel a hand on your shoulder once Kurtz disappears from your vision.<br/>“He’s useless to concern yourself with.” Is hissed into your ear, by the time you turn to where the voice comes from you’re alone by the flag pole once more.</p><p> </p><p>You watch Kurtz closer after that, you fingers drumming against the desk as you sit in the back of history, he nudges you when the bell rings and you walk slightly behind him as he makes his way to English, you’re surprised to see he shares it with you and the teacher seems even more surprised to see you sitting in your seat next to him.<br/>“Come over today.” He hums flicking through the copy of Brave New World.<br/>“I thought we were reading Fahrenheit 451.”<br/>“ That’s next semesters-“ The teacher rolls his eyes as you nudge the bookmark back in place, three chapters from finishing.<br/>“Brave New World it is. Yay orgies and drugs.” Kurtz snorts smiling at you.<br/>“Kurtz is there something you’d like to share about Mr. Huxley’s work?”<br/>“Yeah sounds like his idea of a utopia was just the Ghoul’s Friday night.” The teachers not impressed scowling and giving him detention.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry Y/N guess we have to postpone the history project again.” He laughs under his breath and you roll your eyes.<br/>“Well I’ll definitely have to come over Friday, can’t miss out on a real life Brave New World experience, you think I’ll get extra credit if I take pictures?” You wink and snicker, catching the teacher’s eyes in a glare. You try your best not to beam when he give you detention.<br/>“Well then Y/N don’t tell me I’m a bad influence on you.”<br/>“Not at all, if anything I’m a bad influence on you; making you miss Ghoul meeting and-“<br/>“SHIT!” Kurtz slams his fist onto the table and the teacher looks unimpressed.<br/>“Kurtz what have-“</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck off.” He hisses standing and walking out of the room, you watch as the teacher doesn’t look up as you move to follow him.<br/>“Kurtz?”<br/>“They told me if I missed one I was out.”<br/>“Well that doesn’t seem anything like a decent gang.”<br/>“What?”<br/>“I mean if they’re going to kick you out cause you don’t show for one meeting seems a little extreme, plus they’d have less members if that was an actual rule.”<br/>“I know but I can’t-“</p><p> </p><p>“Cant what? They need you more that you need them.”<br/>“No I’m; I’m nothing without them.”<br/>“So you just came into being with a little leather jacket? An undying sense of loyalty to a gang you met when you started high school? It’s been years with you in them; you really think they’re going to throw you out cause you miss one meeting?” He nods feverishly and shoves his bag into your hands.<br/>“Can you meet me in the library? After this meeting.”<br/>“Of course.” You turn starting for the library, no point in going to class when there’s only one left.</p><p> </p><p>You’re sitting in your usual spot watching the door. You don’t mean to snoop but when you shift moving Kurtz’s bag next to yours you can see the bright cover of the sketchbook. You assume the meeting has just started so you pull it out carefully opening it. You skim through the pages, mostly half finished sketches, and colour combinations; you laugh at the sketch, clearly done form his point of view, your arm reaching out to close the window, the top of your head just visible. You turn the page watching and the sketches end up more finished but almost an unrecognisable style; the bright colours are what throw you off the most, before it have been almost completely pencils and now it was neon in comparrision, paints and chalk colour faces and clothes outlandishly bright. You note in place of a signature all that’s written is a squashed ‘jangle 2 ½ tubes; twenty minutes.’ You try your best not to think about this being the day of the fight; how the serpents have neon blues and greens dripping from their faces and the knife one of the Ghouls has drips the same.</p><p> </p><p>Kurtz doesn’t say anything and you debating telling him you looked through his sketchbook but decide against it for the moment. He’s brought you back to his house, pulling his books out gives you the excuse you need.<br/>“What’s that?”<br/>“Sketchbook, mostly empty, ghouls don’t like me doing art, says it distracts from the gang.” You nod but he laughs catching you frowning.<br/>“Don’t agree with them?”<br/>“If they think you drawing is distracting what on earth do they have to say about me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well they don’t like me socializing outside of the gang and the thought of me dating outside of it isn’t something they consider.” You swallow leaning closer to him.<br/>“If you’re already distracted by art;” You nudge the sketchbook from where it sits between you on the bed scooting into the space made by it. “Why shouldn’t you be distracted by something more enjoyable?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Sober Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A much longer slightly more in depth backstory for Kurtz</p><p>TW: Drug use, Smut, Violence</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Drug use, Smut, Violence</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’re six when your parents first shove you outside pointing to the tree line in the backyard and mumble for you to ‘go explore till dinner’ you know this means there won’t be dinner but you stay quiet content to walk through the patch of trees. You decide since you have hours till it gets dark, hours till they remember where they let you run off to, you’ll explore as far as you can.<br/>It takes less than an hour before you reach the edge of the forest, you’re surprised, not by how short the trip was, but that there’s a house in front of you. Within seconds a boy shoves himself in front of you laughing and nodding.<br/>“Mom!!! I found a faerie!!! Can we keep her! She’s real tiny; won’t take up much space!” You watch the boy grip your wrist and tug, bringing you closer to the house with the smooth wooden porch and the soft cushions on the rocking chairs.</p><p> </p><p>“Momma!!!”<br/>“Conrad, what have I said about-oh, hello, what’s your name sweetheart.” You can her hear voice go soft, you didn’t know mother’s voices could do that, and you stick your free hand out for her to shake like you father taught you.<br/>“My name’s Y/N ma’am!”<br/>“I’m Conrad, but you’re not supposed to tell the Fae your real name, so call me Kurtz!!” You nod at the boy smiling back.<br/>“Well how about you stay for dinner and we’ll call your parents after words. They live across the tree line right?” You nod at the woman letting both her and Kurtz lead you into the house and to a dining table.<br/>“Kurtz, what’s a Fae?” You mumble face pink, you’d never heard of them before and his face lights up.<br/>“I got a whole book on them!!! I’ll get it!” He rushes off and you stand awkwardly looking around the room, he returns quickly.</p><p> </p><p>“I dunno what a Fae would need to know about- ARE YOU A CHANGELING!!!!” he shouts clapping his hands together, his mother appears and you watch nervously as she beckons him over.<br/>“Kurtz, what have I said about shouting?”<br/>“That it’s bad for my voice and bad for everyone else’s ears.” He hangs his head and she runs her hand through the faint curls before nodding.<br/>“So now we know for next time right?” She asks and he nods.<br/>“Yeah of course!! Can Y/N stay the night??” He jumps from the spot he’s in moving back and forth next to his mother.<br/>“We’ll have to ask when we call her parents.” Your parent’s don’t pick up and instead of calling the police like your grandma used to do, Kurtz’s mom just smiles and pats your head. Kurtz pulls you back to the table and shows you the pictures and reads some of the stories to you. You nod along as he explains that Fae’s are magic creatures that live in the forest.</p><p> </p><p>“You go wash up for dinner and then we’ll get a room sorted.” You’re not sure what she means by room, you usually sleep on the couch; your parents can’t sleep in the same room anymore. You don’t ask during dinner, or after when Kurtz makes you a brownie sundae that’s so heavy you drop it twice. When it’s time for bed you’re brought to a room with a bed, and a mattress on the floor. Kurtz points to the floor mattress.<br/>“You sleep there!” He nods as his mother leaves he leans over to whisper.<br/>“You can sleep with me if you wanna, the bed’s huge!” You nod climbing up under the covers with him. This is the first time you stay with Kurtz.<br/>————————————————————————————-</p><p>You’re one day away from being eight, Kurtz who’s already eight, insists you’re not missing anything exciting, just an extra finger to hold up. He still calls you faerie sometimes pulling out the mythology and fables book he has pointing out the pictures and nodding.<br/>“You’re just as pretty as them, plus you came outta the woods, all faeries do that!” You don’t argue; you’re afraid to tell him you don’t live in a pretty castle, and drink out of flowers. He doesn’t ask ever and you’re relieved when he talks more about his uncle that’s coming over. His mother frowns and he leans over to whisper to you.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama doesn’t like Uncle Malachai cause he sells drugs. But it’s okay cause he’s not really my uncle, my mama just calls him that cause he takes care of us.” You nod, you know what drugs are, it’s all your parents do. You wonder if they know Malachai as well. Kurtz’s mother, she insists you call her by her first name, Sarah, offers to let you have a birthday party at her house.<br/>“We can set up a pool if you want.” You hesitate nodding softly.<br/>“I’d like that Ms. Sarah, but I don’t wanna trouble you, ‘sides I don’t have enough friends to have a party.” You frown and she smiles.<br/>“Well you leave that up to me and Kurtz okay?” You nod confused by what she means, but let her continue on with her plans.</p><p> </p><p>The party is the most fun you can remember having. Kurtz refuses to leave your side rushing you around the other kids and all of his mom’s friends. He pauses his running; letting go of your hand as he flings himself to hug a thin figure.<br/>“Hey kiddo, Jesus you’re tall now.” Kurtz returns to your side pulling you along to point at the figure.<br/>“This is my Uncle Malachai, Uncle Malachai, this is Y/N she’s an actual faerie, she showed up from the trees!” Malachai nods smirking.<br/>“Well nice to meet you Y/N you take care of Kurtz, he’s a handful.” You nod face going serious for a moment. You’re about to run off and follow Kurtz when Malachai’s hand grips your shoulder.<br/>“Your parent’s still live cross the tree line?” You nod and he smiles, you rush back off to play with Kurtz.<br/>—————————————————————————————-</p><p>You frown when the police show up to Kurtz house, hovering behind Kurtz who hovers behind his mother.<br/>“Y/N, it’s alright sweetheart, you just have to go stay with your Aunt for a while, okay?”<br/>“Can I come over still?”<br/>“You have to ask her okay?”<br/>“Why can’t I stay on my own? Or with my Grandma?”<br/>“You’re only 12, you can’t pay all your bills yet, and she’s too old sweetheart, here, how about we give your aunt all our contact information so you and Kurtz can visit if you want.” You nod smiling at her. She doesn’t bring you back to your house, explaining that the police need to finish up and then you can get all your stuff later. That she’s sure your aunt will have things for you.<br/>————————————————————————————-</p><p>As it turns out, your aunt, Penny Peabody wants almost nothing to do with you; she leaves you with Kurtz and his mother as much as she can while you’re supposed to be adjusting. Once everything with your parents settles down; she seems to warm up to you slightly. You know enough to stay out of her hair, but she’ll call you into the living room to spend time with you, and she spends time working on your homework with you. </p><p>She lets Kurtz come over as often as he can, which once he gets a bike for Christmas is every weekend and on the days you get out early for school. You spend your summers at his, and he spends the winter and spring breaks as well as other holidays from school with you and your aunt. He watches and listens to her just as much as you do. You know you’re both learning what she does, how she cons people. You don’t want to think about needing to use it. The summers are spent with Kurtz’s mother teaching homemaking skills, you learn how to stitch so tightly that water slows when moving through the tear; you know this is meant for stitches over wounds. You learn plants that can be found everywhere to eat, and heal. When Malachai comes around you learn like you did with your aunt. He teaches both you and Kurtz how to fight with knives as well as your fists; he makes you swear not to tell Sarah. You tell Penny and she laughs and nods, buying you a better set that Malachai has to piss him off.</p><p>———————————————————————————<br/>It’s four days into summer vacation before you start high school, Kurtz’s mom is out of town as usual, her work leading to her being away more than she’s home. Kurtz calls and asks if you want to come over. Your aunt drops you off handing you an overnight back and tugging your shoulder.<br/>“Y/N, be careful.”<br/>“Careful? It’s just Kurtz.” Your aunt nods.<br/>“Malachai was telling me-“<br/>“His uncle’s there?”<br/>“Yes, be careful.” She warns and nudges you out of the car. You can’t help the nerves that bubble under your skin, why would you need to be careful around Kurtz. You try your best to shake it off as you wait for him to open the door.<br/>“Oh hey there little faerie.” Malachai smiles at you.</p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz! It’s for you.” He turns and you step into the hallway watching Kurtz jerk forward and stumble in his socks on the hardwood floor. You pause; hesitating for a moment watching his face, how his eyes look blurry and his mouth hangs open at one corner.<br/>“Jangle?” You question and Malachai nods.<br/>“You got good eyes kid.”<br/>“Just a good memory.” You scowl at him and he rolls his eyes.<br/>“Your parent’s chose to do it, can’t help that I was their dealer.” You bite back the comment about him being their murderer instead watching Kurtz smile.<br/>“Malachaiiii you didn’t tell me Y/N was here.”<br/>“Why you give him Jangle.”<br/>“He wanted to try it, he’s a big boy now, fourteen and all that.” You nod, gripping Kurtz’s hand; you watch his face turn bright pink.<br/>“Malachai look.” He whispers, holding your hand up looking awe struck.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah what?”<br/>“She’s holding my hand!” Malachai nods and you bite your lip to keep from laughing.<br/>“Let’s go sit down yeah?” You nod to Kurtz and he doesn’t stop staring at your clasped hands as you lead him to the couch. He trips twice and you scowl, positioning him on the couch when he flops down, you sit next to him and Malachai nods.<br/>“I’ll head out now, you know how to take care of him if goes bad yeah?”<br/>“What I did for my parent’s; got it.” He smiles leaving an envelope on the side table next to the couch and walks out the door. Kurtz jerks his head up and frowns as the door clicks closed.<br/>“Y/N!” He jumps slightly when you re-enter his field of vision.<br/>“Hey Kurtz. You want to watch TV?”</p><p> </p><p>“No. Want something else.” He crosses his arms and you arch an eyebrow.<br/>“Kurtz, what do you want?” He shakes his head laying on his side and staring at the blank TV screen.<br/>“Kurtz? Come on use your words.” You try not to scowl already he’s reminding you of your parents. You crouch in front of him and laugh a little when he hides his face in the cushion.<br/>“What do you want, come on I can get almost anything.” You think you can make out the word ‘okay’ from in between the mumblings he spews into the pillow. You nudge his chin up.<br/>“I wanna kiss you.” He ducks his head back down and you wince when your hands stuck under it.<br/>“Can you move your head?” He looks up eyes too wide; you nudge his forehead when he tries to kiss you.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t move; you have the shakes.” He nods, jerking as he freezes, you can still see his hands trembling. You lean over kissing his lips softly, you pull back and watch his pupils dilate before they shrink back to the usual jangle pinpricks.<br/>“I meant the cheek.” He laughs as you smack his arm.<br/>“Should we redo it then?” He laughs and smiles sleepily.<br/>“You tired now? How much did you take?”  You slowly sit him up slightly, and he grabs for you pulling you against him and the couch.<br/>“Kurtz, how much did you take?”</p><p> </p><p>“ Um, the uh Washington one.”<br/>“A quarter amount?”<br/>“Yeah but the silver one. That size.”<br/>“So literally a quarter, this?” You hold up the quarter from the table and he nods.<br/>“Don’t leave.” You nod rolling your eyes as his arms tighten around you.<br/>“I’m right here. Not going anywhere, your death grip is making sure of it.” You laugh and he nods sniffling.<br/>“Kurtz? You okay?” He nods and you wipe a stray tear.</p><p> </p><p>“Please don’t leave me. Everyone else does.”<br/>“I’m not leaving.” You let him awkwardly curl around you, his limbs uncoordinated and gangly even without the added effect of the Jangle. You wake up to a blanket around both of you and Malachai sitting watching TV.<br/>“He asked me to take it, said he wanted to tell you something but he was too scared to do it himself.” Malachai pulls the remainder of the Jangle tube from the table and tucks it into his pocket.<br/>“He’ll be fine, just needs to sleep it off.”<br/>——————————————————————————–</p><p>You’re nervous about school; you’d never had Kurtz in any of your classes and you’d never been around at lunch the same time. To be fair you’d never been at the same school, so seeing him around is odd and having him in every class is unnerving. He seems unbothered by it, explaining how each of the gangs works, not that there’s many besides the Ghoulies and the Serpents to care about. Kurtz almost corals you over to the Ghoulies, nudging you into their table at lunch.<br/>“You stay with them.” You stand intent on following him but he gently shoves you back to the table.<br/>“Stay with them.” You watch as the other Ghoulies stare at you almost in awe.<br/>“What?” You mumble to them and they laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re that girl Kurtz doesn’t shut up about.” You nod to them frowning when he slides into the Serpent’s caged off area. You grimace when he whoops, fist colliding with one of the other Serpent’s noses. The rest of the Ghoulies leap up and rush towards the Serpent’s laughing and throwing punches. You can’t see Kurtz, and when he appears behind you, you jump slightly.<br/>“Look free lunch.” He winks pulling over the trays that the other Ghouls had abandoned.<br/>——————————————————————————–</p><p>It doesn’t take you long to officially become a Ghoulie, the other Ghouls bring you up to their base of operations, you’ve only been to the House of the Dead once, but you wonder what the rest of them will say.<br/>Malachai is standing at the door watching as Lance, the oldest Ghoulie from Southside High steps forward nudging you and Kurtz forward.<br/>“What did you bring this time?”</p><p> </p><p>“Couple of newbies, they wanna work for us and-“<br/>“Kurtz how many times have I told you to stop fucking with the ones from school?” Kurtz just laughs and Lance looks annoyed and confused.<br/>“And you brought Y/N too? You guys really need to do more background research when you have recruits. They’re already in.” Malachai shrugs and nods towards the house.<br/>“They don’t have the ghoul mark.”<br/>“I know; we’ll give it to them now.”<br/>“Ghoul Mark?”<br/>“To mark you as one of us, for life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh like how the serpents have a tattoo?” You ask and Malachai nods.<br/>“Yes, just a little more permanent is all.” You grimace at the knife Malachai holds up.<br/>“You can’t laser off a scar.” He laughs offering you and Kurtz Jangle tubes.<br/>“It helps with the pain.” You shake your head scowling as Kurtz downs half a tube.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to act tough you know. Just take the drugs like everyone else you little addict.” Lance laughs shoving you. You cringe when Kurtz lunges for him.<br/>“Kurtz. She’s fine.” Malachai sighs pulling him back.<br/>“It’s okay Kurtz.” You nod to him and he glares at Lance. You watch the way Lance glares back, and you can tell Kurtz’s fingers are running along the knife he keeps on himself.<br/>———————————————————————————–</p><p>You know Kurtz has been sneaking behind your back more, not that you really watch over him. You can tell he’s drifting from you not just because of the jobs the Ghouls have him running all over the town.<br/>“Kurtz we still on for later?”<br/>“Course. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You know he will, you’re expecting a text, explaining how he has a job, how it’ll have to be a rain check, of a rain-check, of a reschedule. No text comes and you’re still surprised when he tugs you towards his bike, you watch his hands shake and you place yours over them; his face pinks like every time you do this and he averts his eyes. You watch is pupils barely larger than pinpricks.<br/>“How much did you take?”</p><p> </p><p>“Full tube.” He shrugs off the concern you know is on your face, shoving the helmet at you.<br/>“Kurtz you can’t drive while you’re on-“<br/>“You want to walk.” He bites back and you go quiet swallowing and wrapping your arms around his waist. He hums slightly and you close your eyes the entire ride home.<br/>You don’t say anything about him being on jangle as he brings you back to his place, his mother out for work like usual. He throws himself on the couch motioning for you to sit, you skirt the edge, perched on the couch as far from him as you can get.</p><p> </p><p>“Why you hate me on Jangle?” He questions and you can’t help a bitter laugh.<br/>“Really? Do you even remember what happened to my parents? That they both OD’ed on it? That they spent most of my childhood so drugged up it was easier to send me outside than to deal with me? I don’t want you turning into them!”<br/>“I’m not your fucking parents!” He shouts sitting up suddenly angry.<br/>“Really? Cause you sure are acting like them. How are you not them, then?” You snarl. Kurtz jerks up gripping your shoulders.<br/>“They never loved you like I do! I’m not them!” He shakes you and you cringe back; swallowing as he registers how afraid you look.<br/>“You’re right, you’re not them, you’re worse.” You turn and leave, rushing past his mother who looks nervously at your retreating figure.<br/>—————————————————————————————–</p><p>A quarter has easily doubled to half, but the jump from half to full is what worries you. The entire idea of Kurtz doing Jangle worries you but you know not to say anything about that after the fight you’d had over it. Well it was more the fight you and Malachai had had. You’d avoided Kurtz for an entire week as the handprints against your throat faded.</p><p> </p><p>You’d never seen Kurtz so out of it on Jangle, you’d never seen it make him angry; the most he got was embarrassed around you for whatever reason. Still upset and trying your best to fix the first fight you’d ever had with him you’d stormed the house of the dead, knowing Malachai would be happy to see you until it clicked what you were there for.<br/>“Hey there Y/N what can I do for my favourite little faerie then?”<br/>“Don’t sell to Kurtz. Don’t let anyone sell to him.” Malachai arches an eyebrow after he laughs for five minutes.<br/>“Oh you were serious, huh, well you don’t get to make demands like that.”<br/>“It’s not a demand.” You flick your knife out, nudging it at his throat.<br/>“Just like this isn’t a threat.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, cute.” You drop the knife instantly, his hands curling around your throat as he presses you against the wall.<br/>“Listen, I don’t give a shit what you think you got with Kurtz, you try to cut him off from Jangle I’ll cut off your oxygen permanently.” He drops you to the ground kicking your knife over.<br/>“You tell him about this-“<br/>“About what?” Malachai smiles helping you up.</p><p> </p><p>“Evolve or die little Fae, Evolve or die.” You nod. You don’t question when Malachai calls you for a special job, out of town, for an unknown amount of time. He tells you you’ll be leaving in a week. You don’t question him aside from asking him what you need to pack. He says he’ll send Kurtz over later.<br/>Kurtz doesn’t bother knocking, cracking open the door and whistling as he closes it. You don’t look up pretending to be absorbed in the cooking show on TV.<br/>“Y/N, Malachai told me about the job, it’s long right? That’s gonna get you so much cred and-“<br/>You don’t move on your own, but you find yourself on Kurtz lap.<br/>“What’s wrong?”<br/>“I have to leave for an entire year at least, I’m sure its one of those long jobs.” You frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Not much here you’ll miss.” Kurtz smiles slightly.<br/>“Woulda been better to send you, you don’t have anything you miss here.”<br/>“You.” You stare at each other and you watch as his hands hover over you before settling one around your waist and the other on your shoulder.<br/>“You don’t want me.” You shrug; he licks his lips.<br/>“Who says that?”<br/>“The other Ghouls. And that fight we just had.” He glares, and you watch one of his hands curl into a fist, you tangle your fingers in his.<br/>“Hey Kurtz, drop it, they don’t mean anything.” He nods still glaring slightly.<br/>“Kurtz, what’s going on; you’ve been avoiding me, not just cause of jobs and taking all that Jangle.“<br/>“Malachai doesn’t want me around you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why?”<br/>“Say’s you’re a problem area, for me. He told me if I took the Jangle you’d leave me alone and he wouldn’t have to send you away.” You brush your hand on his cheek.<br/>“I’m not angry at you, I’m scared for you, I’ve seen what Jangle does; I don’t want you ending up like my parents.”<br/>“Cause you hate ‘em right.” He chuckles dryly.<br/>“No because I love you. Can’t let anything bad happen to you.”<br/>————————————————————————————-</p><p>Malachai doesn’t keep you updated on anything other than what the Ghouls are doing gang wise; halfway through the second month he vanishes and two weeks go by without any news, suddenly a few of the other Ghouls appear at the house he’d stationed you at.<br/>“What?”<br/>“Malachai’s in prison. He got caught, there was a race and-“</p><p> </p><p>You return to Riverdale, making your way to the house of the dead surprised to see your aunt in the living room.<br/>“Hey kid, good trip?”<br/>“Trip? Malachai sent me up to the middle of bum-fuck nowhere cause he thought I was gonna make Kurtz go sober.” Penny laughs shaking her head.<br/>“What?”<br/>“He doesn’t care about Kurtz being sober, he cares about Kurtz listening to him. He won’t listen if you’re around.”<br/>“Why wouldn’t Kurtz listen to him, Kurtz like worships him.” Penny shrugs.<br/>“I’ll let you figure that out on your own. Now Malachai’s coming back home in a bit so-“<br/>“The other ghouls said he had years left and-“</p><p> </p><p>“If he doesn’t bribe everyone, which we’re going to do, so; we need to fix this place up, the Ghouls have ruined it.”<br/>“Why do I have to clean?”<br/>“Because you’re one of the only people I can trust, and Kurtz will follow you like a puppy.”<br/>———————————————————————————</p><p>The welcome back party is in full swing, you’re sitting to the side, watching most of the Ghoulies mixing alcohol and Jangle; taking shots of it. Kurtz is across the room, drink less and as far as you can tell completely sober. You’re pretty sure someone slipped something into your water, after the sip you’d taken you noticed the taste changed far too much. Whoever put something in must have assumed it vodka; you pretend not to notice how Lance leers at you from across the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey little faerieeeee,” you cringe at the nickname but stand up walking over to Malachai; who sways drunkenly.<br/>“Try it.” He smirks holding out a shot of vodka that’s more jangle than liquid.<br/>“Don’t.” Kurtz is next to you pulling you back and knocking the drink out of Malachai’s hand. You expect the party to freeze like it does in movies, for everything to stop and everyone to watch you. You feel the slap confused at how fast Malachai moved.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh no, you don’t make demands Kurtz, you follow, and you follow me or I hurt her, remember our deal? That was nothing compared to what I’ll do.” Kurtz seems to hesitate fists still clenched; you shift back, hand brushing against his arm.<br/>“Deal?” Malachai turns smiling.<br/>“Oh yes. Kurtz made a deal with me when you joined. You want to know what it is?”<br/>“He’ll do whatever I want, whatever I say, as long as I; and the other ghouls keep you safe and out of trouble.” You glare shaking your head.<br/>“That’s not true Malachai you-“<br/>“I what? You think you know me? I tell Kurtz to jump he asks how high, I tell him to OD on Jangle, he doubles the dose. What part of I own him do you not understand little fae.”<br/>“I-“</p><p> </p><p>“You what, you’ll call Auntie Penny to rescue him? You’ll kill me yourself? Come on Y/N how many empty threats can you make?”<br/>“Trade; not a threat.”<br/>‘Trade?”<br/>“You keep him sober, and you have me.”<br/>“What can you offer? That he can’t.”<br/>“I’m a teenager girl, I’m sure you’ll think of some use for me.” You spit and try not to cringe at how sober he looks when he smiles holding his hand out.<br/>“Deal.”</p><p> </p><p>He appears later in the night; you’re expecting him to bring friends; to pimp you out, he just smiles again.<br/>“You live here now. You don’t speak to Penny unless I say it’s okay, understand?”<br/>“Yes.”<br/>“You can continue normally with Kurtz, as friends, I’d hate for him to worry more. For now at least, you’ll cut off friendship with him soon; it’s safer for the rest of them. God knows he already almost killed Lance.”<br/>“Lance?”<br/>“Oh yeah, we found out he slipped something into your drink, good thing it was water so we noticed. I may have let it slip that it was Lance who did it. Kurtz must’ve heard. Shame Lance is out of commission for three weeks, Kurtz’ll just have to take his place then. Big job, lots of fighting. You can patch him up when he’s finished.”<br/>———————————————————————————-</p><p>You shake your head at Sarah’s offer for her to stay.<br/>“Y/N it’s not a problem he can barely see out of his eye, it’s a lot more work helping him around, he keeps running into everything.”<br/>“Really it’s okay, I’d hate for you to have to cancel work. I’ll be okay I swear.” You nod sternly and she relents leaving in her car. You climb the steps knocking on the door.<br/>“Mom if you- Y/N.” Kurtz stands in the doorway in just sweat pants. The ice pack over his eye is moved and you wince in sympathy, noting he seems to be able to look out slightly.<br/>“Hey sorry for just showing up but I was wondering if I could stay over? Things aren’t great at-“<br/>“Of course. Be just like when we were little” He grins and you follow him in.<br/>“Since it’s past dinner, brownie sundae?” He laughs a little and you roll your eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Please don’t make me drop it like the first time.”<br/>“I’m the one that’s gong to drop it I bet. Besides the floor dirt is half the fun.” He laughs shaking his head. You sit on the couch eating it, half watching the TV.<br/>“Thank you.” He nods as you pull his bowl placing it on the coffee table. He shifts; scooting closer to you on the couch.<br/>“No problem Y/N. Anything for you.”<br/>“Can we call it a night then?” You say after a yawn, he nods nudging you towards his room. You watch as he doesn’t pull out the spare mattress, instead pulling off his sweatpants so he’s down to just his boxers.<br/>“Did you bring PJ’s?” he looks curiously at your bag you’ve brought up and you shake your head.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, here.” He tosses you one of his shirts and you nod, tugging off yours and your bra to put his shirt over before pulling your pants off.<br/>“You can turn around now, you didn’t need to do that you know.” He shrugs and climbs into bed holding the covers up for you.<br/>“Come on, we can stay up late telling each other secrets.” You laugh curling into his chest.<br/>“What’s wrong Y/N, is it just everything at home?” You shake your head sniffling slightly; you can feel Kurtz tense unsure what to do about you crying.<br/>“What’s got you crying hm?”<br/>“A boy.” You mumble and can feel his hands tighten on you.<br/>“Who hurt you?”<br/>“No nothing like that, I just, I have a crush on someone but he pretty much avoids me all the time. We spent like two hours together last week and that was all.” You sniffle more and Kurtz wipes your tears.<br/>“Baby don’t cry, anyone who’s making you cry that much can’t be worth it, can you tell him how you feel?” You nod.<br/>“Great, then do that, as soon as you can.” You can hear the pain and the hitch in his voice.<br/>“Kurtz?”<br/>“I’m fine.” He snaps.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t sound fine.”<br/>“You know if that boy hurts you I’ll have to kill him right?”<br/>“Have fun killing yourself then.” You laugh a little freezing when you realize what you’ve said.  You and Kurtz stare at each other for a moment before you feel his hands shoving the shirt up and off. He pulls you flush against him kissing you.<br/>“Kurtz-“ He pauses scooting backwards eyes wide.<br/>“I’m so sorry Y/N. I didn’t-“ You bite you lip sighing.<br/>“That; uh wasn’t me telling you to stop.” You face is bright pink when Kurtz moves back against you.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re mine.” He hisses into your ear and you nod. He runs his teeth against your throat; tilting his mouth to the side as he bites down. He twists; moving under the covers so he’s above you, tongue running between your breasts and over your nipples, before he presses his lips back to yours.<br/>“Mine.” He groans when your hand palms at the tenting in his boxers. He pins your hands up behind your head hesitating waiting for you to say no, you nod slightly and he keeps his hand locked around your wrists as the other rubs over your underwear.<br/>“You know you’re mine right? Not Malachai’s; not the Ghouls; not Penny’s. You’re mine. Only mine.” He mumbles between kisses as his head moves downward, biting against your exposed skin. You nod as the hand rubbing over your underwear pulls them off before continuing.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be good for me right Y/N?” You stare wide-eyed as he moves his hand away from gripping yours above your head. You watch him as he takes his boxers off; they join your underwear somewhere on the floor. He doesn’t move his hand back and you flex your fingers, before you move your arms out pulling him back towards you so you can kiss him more.<br/>“K-Kurtz-“you whine trying to roll your hips upwards, his hand moves from between your legs to press against your hip pinning you to the bed once more.<br/>“That’s not my name is it?” He hums, thumb rubbing over you clit. You moan nodding in response.<br/>“Can you tell me my name? I’ll keep doing this if you’re good and call me by my actual name.”<br/>“Conrad.” You whimper and he stops. Pulling away to sit up slightly, you frown.<br/>“Hmm I dunno if I like that. Give me a sec.” He smirks and you don’t respond, just whining.<br/>“Aww what’s wrong babe?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a dick!” You pout and he returns to his position over you, arm snaking under you as he pulls you up; he sits on the bed as he pulls you against his chest kissing you as his other hand nudges your legs apart so you straddle him.<br/>“I have one.” He hums as he drags your core against it. “Can’t you tell?” You nod, grinding yourself over his dick. He kisses you once more, teeth snapping on your lip as you open your mouth to him.<br/>“Do you want me to fuck you?” You nod, one of his hands snaking into your hair to tug it slightly, you pull back and he smirks.</p><p> </p><p>“You need help or-“ You cut him off, slowly pushing yourself onto his dick, smiling at how his eyes widen. You watch him blink for a moment, both of you adjusting, before you roll your hips slightly. You can feel his hands on your hips, they’re shaking slightly and you automatically look for the Jangle eye’s you’ve come to associate it with; surprised when his eyes are almost completely black.<br/>“You okay?” You mumble, head drifting to his ear and down his neck as you give him a matching bruise to the ones you’re sure you have. He hums nudging your chin up with his finger kissing you as the hand that’s still on your hip moves you slightly so he can move from under you. You moan into the kiss and you move to match his movement humming contently as he starts to move faster managing to keep pace.</p><p> </p><p>“F-Fuck Kurtz.”<br/>“That is what we’re doing.” He pants slightly, his mouth moving against yours as he snaps his hips faster, gaining speed. You moan, shaking slightly unable to form any sort of sentence, you can feel his fingers rubbing off your clit as he pounds into you.<br/>“You’ll be good and finish with me right?” You nod as he smirks pulling out, you’re about to ask what’s wrong but instead he kisses you. You gasp as he flips you, leaning down as you squirm, now under him, he kisses you once more as he re-enters you keeping the pace he’d set before he’d flipped your positions. You whimper, watching him as he moves inside you.<br/>“Kurtz.” You moan and he smirks moving his fingers away from your clit for a moment.<br/>“Please touch me, please Kurtz.”<br/>“You have to finish with me remember. Don’t you want to be good? Don’t you want to be mine?” He hums into your ear as he rolls his hips against yours. You nod moaning again as he continues to thrust in and out of you. You’re shaking slightly, his fingers pulsing against your clit.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay Y/n, it’s okay; let go, it’s okay.” He mumbles kissing against your neck as you can feel the rhythm he’s created dissolving as he draws closer to finishing. You can feel the coil of heat that had been building since you first kissed is finally snapping. You cry out, gasping slightly as Kurtz bites onto the side of your neck when he finishes. You can feel yourself orgasming around him and you whimper as the sparks dancing behind your eyes settle. Kurtz lays next you, you turn to face him and he offers a lazy smile kissing you slowly. You wrap your arms around him curling into his chest.<br/>“Was it okay?” He asks mostly into the top of your head and you nod, pulling back.<br/>“Why are you crying? Did I hurt you?” He sounds panicked suddenly and you shake your head.<br/>“No just;” You shrug keeping your arms around him; you cough awkwardly trying to stop crying. You swallow offering shaky sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you.” You barely breathe it, the way Kurtz tenses you know he’s heard.<br/>“I’d let you kill me if you asked.” He smiles softly and you accept this is the closest you’re going to get to him saying I love you back for the moment.<br/>“I know, I don’t want to.”<br/>“Even though I’m not going anywhere in life and just gonna end up dead in a ditch and-“<br/>“Kurtz, don’t worry about that right now, can we just enjoy this.” You nuzzle his chest slightly and he smiles nodding, pulling the blanket over both of you. You’re drifting off, almost asleep in his arms when he gasps nudging you back to being awake.<br/>“What’s wrong?”<br/>‘We weren’t safe.” He hisses at you and you shake your head.</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t safe, I’m on the pill.”<br/>“Oh, um sorry for waking you.” He looks sheepish and you smile.<br/>“Not that bad if I get to see you.” His face pinks slightly and you shift up to kiss him before returning to cuddle him as you fall asleep.<br/>——————————————————————————-</p><p>With Malachai gone again you’re able to visit Kurtz whenever you want. Not that his ban had stopped you before; but now you didn’t jump anytime you saw someone in black turn to look at you. You let yourself into Kurtz’s house. His mom’s car not back; she’ll probably be back soon, she’s usually home by now; traffic must be bad you reason. You can’t hear the water running and there’s the faint sound of the TV so you make your way towards the living room. Pausing when you hear a soft thumping sound, like someone running. You hate the panic that grips your chest but you turn, automatically heading for the kitchen instead. You’re surprised you don’t scream, scrambling towards him on the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz, Kurtz can you hear me? Of course you can’t; okay hold on. This is going to hurt me way more than you.” You nudge him slightly, he’s convulsing in short bursts all of his muscles trying to fold over themselves. You wait until they seem to shift under the skin seeking relaxation but his brain refusing to send the signals, you twist him to his side, fingers tugging and pulling at his eyelids to try to see his pupils, no luck, simply the bloodshot whites glare back at you. You already have a timer going, if it gets above a minute you’ll call the hospital you assure yourself. You sit in front of him as his body seems to spasm endlessly; it’s been fifteen second when he stops. You wait, carefully positioning a dishrag under his face; he vomits moments later and you cringe at the mixture of frothy bile and jangle. You keep a faint pressure on his shoulder so he doesn’t move as you switch the dishrag for a clean one, grabbing a towel from under the sink to cover him as he trembles.<br/>“Y/N?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shhh, just sleep, just sleep.” He doesn’t nod just stares blankly at his eye level not even bothering to try to lift his head. He falls asleep in seconds his face almost the most relaxed you’ve seen. You slowly move around the kitchen, throwing the vomit-covered rag away and grabbing spare pillows and actual blankets to put on the couch.<br/>“Kurtz, hey babe, you threw up, do you remember?” You ask softly as he wakes whimpering.<br/>“No, just feel floating.” He mumbles and you nod carefully supporting him under his arms as you half drag him towards the couch. You assure him all that happened was that he vomited, and curl next to him despite his protests of you getting sick from him.</p><p> </p><p>His mother comes home within the hour, scolding Kurtz for not calling her; you apologize saying you’d made him sleep as much off as he could, nudging her into the kitchen to talk away from him.<br/>“What actually happened Y/N?”<br/>“He had a seizure. I don’t know how long it lasted, at least thirty seconds, but he was unconscious and-“<br/>“Sweetheart.” She speaks; you didn’t realize you were panicking or how short your breaths were until she places a hand on your shoulder and has you take a deep breath with her. You try your best not to cry, and to stop yourself from trembling but you can feel Sarah step to the side slightly, a heavier, clumsier hand taking her place. Kurtz evidently heard some of the conversation and as he pulls you into a hug you can tell he’s trying to say something, slurring slightly as his muscles are over relaxed. You wait for a moment, as he seems to prepare himself for what he wants to say.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you.” He doesn’t smile just presses his face into your hair.<br/>“I love you too.” You respond automatically and you can feel the smile on your head, he laughs a little before you realize he’s actually crying, Sarah’s retreated up to her room as far as you can tell so you walk back towards the couch.<br/>“Ghouls said you left, said you left cause you hated me.”<br/>“So you tried to OD on jangle?”<br/>“Didn’t mean it, just wanted to forget for a bit.”<br/>“Why would I hate you?”<br/>“Lance said it was cause I forced you to join the Ghouls, and made you get with me and kept you from your friends; that I was gonna end up hurtin’ you.”<br/>“Kurtz you could never hurt me.”<br/>“Just did.” He rubs his thumb over your cheek.<br/>“You were screamin’ and crying cause of me.”<br/>“Because I thought you were going to die.” He cringes as you scowl.<br/>———————————————————————————-</p><p>You manage to find a couple of the ghouls sitting outside at lunch, they don’t run from you but you can tell the way fear bubbles under their skin as you sit next to them.<br/>“You can’t. Ghouls don’t exist anymore.” They hiss and shove you away.<br/>“Don’t touch her!” One of them looks fearfully over and you catch the black leather of the serpents, of course you notice the studded jacket right after, logo-less but unmistakable. You turn about to stand when one of the ghouls pins you down hand over your mouth.<br/>“If he comes over here-“ He starts.<br/>“Hey!” You can hear someone shout but you slam your head as hard as you can into the ghouls throat hissing as you stomp on his hand shoving him off you as he howls.</p><p> </p><p>“Fucking christ.” You turn, one of the serpents standing a few more running up.<br/>You don’t get much of a chance to see anything else before Kurtz is pulling you into his arms.<br/>“Kurtz I’m fine; I’m fine I just got shoved to the ground, I’ve gotten worse on jobs.” You assure him muffled into his shirt.<br/>“What happened? Which one of you did that.” Jughead asks.<br/>“Well obviously the one in pain.” Kurtz nods hauling up who you recognise as James.<br/>“You’re a snake now, what we do with other Ghoul’s isn’t your business.” He laughs and Kurtz cuts it off hitting him square in the jaw.<br/>“What you do with my girl sure as hell is.” The rest of them pull James away and you turn to Kurtz.<br/>“You’re a Serpent now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sort of; Ghouls disbanded while you were up with your aunt. She didn’t tell you?”<br/>“Do you really think I would’ve stayed up with her if I knew that?” Kurtz nods.<br/>“So you into G&amp;G then?”<br/>“Into what?” You turn to Jughead and Kurtz’s hand on your shoulder makes you hesitate.<br/>“What’s up with-“<br/>“It’s called Gryphon’s and Gargoyles, it’s a roleplaying game, you get to pretend to be fantasy characters and-“<br/>“Oh that sounds fun! Can I-“<br/>“If you so much as sit in on a game I’ll take so much G that my blood will turn to powder. You stay the hell away from it.” Kurtz hisses into your ear, you know no one else heard him.<br/>“So you joining Kurtz’s game, with him being the Game Master and all.”<br/>“Game Master?”</p><p> </p><p>“He basically tells all the quests.”<br/>“Oh wow sounds important.” You smile as Kurtz pulls you away from the Serpents.<br/>“Game Master?”<br/>“Listen, please just; I have to keep you safe. This was the best way.”<br/>“So joining another gang under my nose while I can’t contact you is the best way to do it?”<br/>“It’s-“ You turn from him to smile at Jughead.</p><p> </p><p>“I want to join the Serpents. How do I do that?” Jughead exchanges a look with Kurtz and you stomp on Kurtz foot, he cringes you step forward closer to Jughead.<br/>“I keep him in line, if you  let me join.” You hiss to him and step back smiling.<br/>————————————————————————————-</p><p>The Serpent trials are almost painfully easy, memorization and knife grabbing is nothing compared to looking after a high Kurtz, and the dance is mostly hand movements and skimpy clothes. FP asks about your tattoo placement and you point to your side.<br/>“How good are you at cover-ups?”</p><p> </p><p>“Your ghoul mark? I’ve always been curious how Malachai chose to mark his Ghouls. Guessing it’s a skull right?” You laugh shaking your head and he smirks.You’re not surprised when the other Serpents and Kurtz seem to hover as you get your tattoo. Kurtz seems annoyed you’re going to try to cover up your ghoul mark, and everyone else just wants to see it. When you tug off your shirt you can hear a few of them gasp, the scar carved into your side, notching over your ribs and sliding into your back is almost an indent; as if something had been removed.<br/>“Fucking hell. He does this to kids?” FP glares and you hear the door shut knowing Kurtz has left; his scar is worse.</p><p> </p><p>“How did he decide this? There’s no way I can cover that I’m sorry you’ll have to pick a different spot.” FP shakes his head.<br/>“The closer to Malachai the more pain you have to take. The worse your scar; it’s how it is. Okay, my hip then.” The Serpent leave after that and Kurtz slinks back in, silently holding your hand.</p><p> </p><p>—————————————————————————–</p><p>You’d been shunned in the Serpents, most of them not trusting you; a fact which you weren’t bothering to change. It gave you a much easier way to look after Kurtz and Jughead never bothered you unless he needed your help wrangling Kurtz to class.<br/>“Y/N.” He looks nervous and you nod for him to speak.<br/>“Kurtz is gone.”<br/>“Gone as in off his rocks on G or?”<br/>“Gone, as in he ran off.” You scowl nodding.<br/>“He’s probably out in the forest with the Gargoyles, I’ll go check on him.<br/>“No, he told me-“ You snarl shoving jughead against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“If he talked to you then what you need me for?” He frowns shoving you back.<br/>“He told me not to involve you, that I was supposed to keep you safe, that the Gargoyle King and him had a deal; he said you’d understand?”<br/>“Son of a bitch.” Jughead arches an eyebrow.<br/>“So you do know what that means, care to let me know?” You nod sighing and sitting nervously in front of the rest of the Serpents.<br/>“When we worked for Malachai, Kurtz made a deal with him, he’d do whatever he asked as long as I was kept out of the messy stuff. I’m guessing he made the same deal with the Gargoyle King, so I’m sure I’ll have to rescue him from whatever he- what?” You trail off as the serpents look away from you.<br/>“You know what happens in the game right?”<br/>“No Kurtz didn’t tell me anything.”<br/>“When you level up, after a certain amount of time, you ascend.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh so you get extra powers and-“<br/>“In real life, you can ascend too.”<br/>“That sounds vaguely cultish.”<br/>“It is.”<br/>“So what he ascends and joins the gargoyles for good?” Jughead doesn’t meet your eyes.<br/>“Jones, what happens.”</p><p> </p><p>“You die.”<br/>“Kurtz wouldn’t do that.” You try to reassure yourself. Jughead looks unconvinced but nods.<br/>—————————————————————————-</p><p>You’d heard about Jellybean’s kidnapping, about Ricky bringing her to somewhere in the forest. You knew because Kurtz had whispered it to you when he thought you were asleep, mumbling the Gargoyle King’s plans and the new game he was playing, how Kurtz fit into it. You pretended to be asleep still knowing he wouldn’t say anything otherwise. He tells you how he has to lead the Jones family through a quest then he’d finally be able to ascend, he pulls you against his chest cuddling you. You can feel him shaking.<br/>“I have to ascend he said you’d be safe if I did, he said.” He mumbles kissing your hair and tightening his grip on you, you pretend to wake.<br/>“What’s wrong?”<br/>“Nothing love, nothing, just got back to sleep; I’m gonna be gone for a little while,I have a big job coming up.” He kisses you moving the pillow back under your head as he faces you in bed.<br/>—————————————————————————————-</p><p>You’re sitting watching the gargoyles moving around in the shadows. You’re watching the way your aunt hesitates, the eyepatch you’d given her gleams and you wait wondering if you’ll have to bury her as well. You can see the Gargoyle King moving through the shadows as well, you nod to him and he moves forward, hand running through your hair.<br/>“Not you, you’re the snake’s one.” He hums muffled under the skull he wears.<br/>“What about a trade?” You can hear the crackling of bone as he turns, tilting his head.<br/>“Trade?”<br/>“Me, for Kurtz, you can do whatever you like to me, just leave him alone.” You hear more cracking and an almost chittering laugh before a breathy hiss fills your ears.<br/>“I don’t make trades.” You swallow, hearing your Aunt scream; morbidly you wonder if you’ll have enough to cover both their funerals</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Mercy Quest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When you’re freed from the Sisters you return to the only thing you know</p><p>TW: Violence, threatening language, bodily harm</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Violence, threatening language, bodily harm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’re hesitant when Betty appears dressed as the Gryphon Queen, the cloak and her headdress are wrong but you decide the chance at getting out is worth following a liar. When you step into the night, seeing her smiling at Ethel, you can feel rage bubbling under your skin; you tense, stepping forward; you’re not sure what attacking her would accomplish but you know it will feel good. You’re about to move forward when a figure catches your eye, he’s hovering behind their line of sight smirking as he puts a finger to his lips. You step back, anger draining enough for you to see him clearer, you watch as he holds up a copy of gryphon’s and gargoyles; you look to where Betty and Ethel are trying to round everyone up; and you follow the boy into the shadows.</p><p> </p><p>“What were you doing in there?” He hums fingers playing with your hair, you look up half asleep already and you shrug.<br/>“My parents said I had behaviour problems; and the doctors said I didn’t have anything wrong with me except when I got too sad I hurt myself; so I wasn’t allowed to be alone.”<br/>“Okay, so I wont leave you alone.” He grins tilting your chin as he kisses you.</p><p> </p><p>You wake crying, to feel his arms around you, hand over your mouth; you know you’re being too loud. You sniffle trying your best to quiet as he pulls you against his chest hand moving from your mouth into your hair as you sob into his shoulder.<br/>“Hush, it’s alright; it’s alright. Just a bad dream; just a bad dream.” He repeats automatically and you can feel him jump when you start talking.<br/>“He took you; you died. You’re mine, not supposed to be taken; mine.” You hiss nails digging into back and he smirks.<br/>“Easy there, the king has a plan for us remember, he wanted us to ascend together.”<br/>“No. I want to stay here with you. Just us.”  He hushes you with a kiss and you pull away frowning.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you want me?” His finger’s trace the scars along your arms.<br/>“You’re not mine to want. You’ve spend so much time trapped there; it’s not fair for me to keep you here like a pet.”<br/>“I want to stay with you. Please; please let me stay.”<br/>“Would playing a game help?”You nod and he pulls out his rule book.<br/>“Now; you’re the druid correct?” You nod scooting forward and Kurtz pulls you into his lap as he reads to you.</p><p> </p><p>You spend most nights like this, curled in his arms reading the manuals and devising quests for each other; he offers you an off board quest; something to soothe your ‘druid nature’ he explains.<br/>“De-fang the wolf cub?” He grins nodding and you find the boy running through the woods; you must look as dishevelled as he does because he grabs your hands and leads you in a doubled backed loop until he comes to the abandoned house. You know he doesn’t know its yours.<br/>“We should be safe here.” He mumbles and you nod following him confused why he’s so trusting.<br/>“What’re you doing out in this forest anyways.”<br/>“The uh, Sister’s of Quiet Mercy they-“</p><p> </p><p>“Oh right that creepy prison mental hospital church place that got shut down; Jesus you really look the part either way. So you play G&amp;G?” He grins and you nod.<br/>“I’m a level seven Thief.” His smile darkens and your eyes light up.<br/>“I’m a level seven druid!”<br/>“Oh we match level’s I should see if we match other things.” His hand moves up your thigh and before you can say anything Kurtz has pulled him back shoving him on the ground foot over his throat.<br/>“You ever touch her like that; well, actually we won’t need to worry about that.” He grins and nods, you grab the plier’s he’d given you and nervously walk over to them.<br/>“You’re a little big for a Wolf-cub but beggars can’t be choosers.” You kneel down and watch as he struggles. You run your hand through his hair.<br/>“Shh; it’s alright, just a few fangs is all; just a few fangs.” You cover his eyes as you force his mouth open; you hate how sad he looks.</p><p> </p><p>He’ll save us won’t he?” You turn watching Kurtz as he paces in the living room of the abandoned house.<br/>“Hmm, well your name is on the sacrifice list; maybe we can take it off if we exchange it for someone else.”<br/>“I put it there.” You smile triumphantly nervous as Kurtz jerks forward pressing you against the wall.<br/>“You said you wouldn’t leave me! Being a sacrifice; that’s leaving!” He snaps pulling you forward into a kiss before shoving you down on the mattress. You don’t struggle as he crawls on top of you.<br/>“I thought I was the Game Master. You need to follow my rules do you understand?” You nod as he pulls back before nudging your foreheads together so you look him in the eyes; you can feel one of his hands pulling your arms up straining them as he pins them down.<br/>“You follow my rules. Understand.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”<br/>“You will not be a sacrifice. You will not die unless I kill you myself.” His hand tightens around your wrists and his free hand moves shoving the dress you’re wearing up around your waist.<br/>“Don’t you want to be good for your Game Master? Don’t you want to ascend?”</p><p> </p><p>You don’t argue when Kurtz tells you he’s leaving the house and you have to stay there. You know what will happen if you leave; Betty and the others will find you and you won’t get to ascend or ever play G&amp;G again. So you stay quiet and you stay hidden.<br/>When the Gargoyle King himself appears, his hands reaching out for you, you curl into his chest and he hums as he directs you where to go. It’s the middle of the night; the safest time to travel. You avert your eyes when he removes his mask.<br/>“Look at me Y/N.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz.” You breathe out in awe and he smirks.<br/>“Game Master is king; remember.” He winks and you nod following him from the house towards what looks to be a hunting lodge.<br/>If you want to be a sacrifice; one you shall be.” He grins.<br/>“Hush Y/N. Hush. This will only take a moment; stop squirming.” Penelope looks unconcerned from the chair she lounges in.<br/>“Oh come now, you wanted this; don’t lie and try to get out of it.” She rolls her eyes; you watch nervously as the Gargoyle King moves from in front of the fire; the iron rod in his hands glowing a blinding orange.<br/>You’re surprised you don’t scream; confused that there’s no smell of burning; it’s not till you wake up that you even realized you passed out from the pain.</p><p> </p><p>“We have to finish the game.” You nod to the rest of the Gargoyles who look around at each other.<br/>“Listen; Y/N you know it’s a game right? That it-“<br/>“It’s real!” They quiet nodding as they cast a look as Kurtz walks in glaring.<br/>“Kurtz; sir.” You snicker and Kurtz rolls his eyes hand drifting around your neck as he leans forward arms incircling you as you sit on the chair as the Gargoyle speaks, muffled under his mask.<br/>“Yes?”<br/>“The Jones’ their; quest, has been set up.”<br/>“We have all the pieces?” He looks up as one of the gargoyles shoves a woman forward.<br/>“Penny is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen you little piss ant-“ Kurtz smirks when you shove yourself up towards her teeth bared.<br/>“You’ll forgive our Druid; a little too much time in the forest communing with the animals messes you up; as you can see.” Kurtz hums and you return to his side watching the woman who looks pale.<br/>“She’s one of the kids from Mercy isn’t she.”<br/>“You heard about all of ‘em getting taken to that chop shop yeah?” Penny swallows.<br/>“Wild animals don’t belong on farms.” He laughs and you grin with him tracking Penny who seems annoyed.<br/>“Listen kid.” She approaches you later that night and you watch her for a moment.<br/>“What they got you on. Fizzle rocks? Jangle? G? Some unholy combination of the three?” You grin shaking your head.<br/>“There’s no fuckin’ way you’re sober.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why you think I was in Mercy’s? It’s a hospital to you know.” You grin more and step forward she looks unimpressed.<br/>“You know you can’t hurt me; I’m useful and-“<br/>“To the quest; you can be useful and be injured before they play.” You grin darting forward her hand clamping your arm and you yelp. You grin when she’s slammed back Kurtz snarling corralling you back towards the bed you share.<br/>You reappear to Penny hours later you try not to laugh when she backs up looking behind you to try to spot Kurtz.<br/>“Mercy ain’t the only one’s that keep animals; Gargoyles like having pet snakes too.”</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Family Matters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A kurtz/reader using #12 from the Quote Challenge</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm having a sort of 'flash writing' challenge which you can view the rules for here; if you have any requests submit them through my Tumblr please</p><p>https://stattic-writes.tumblr.com/post/617902476499304448/quotes-challenge</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’d been half asleep when Kurtz had snuck out the first time; despite having given him a key and him locking the doors when you’d both gotten to the house he’d still leave through the window; still sneak out and still vanish for days and weeks.</p><p> </p><p>School drags on and you don’t see him for the full day so it’s a surprise when he shows up at your house swinging the keys around his fingers and grinning from the couch where he looks exhausted.<br/>“Do you need help?” You offer and he just reaches his arms out and you fold onto his chest sighing and relaxed.</p><p> </p><p>”Tough job?” You ask and he hums in agreement and flops his head back onto the arm of the couch.<br/>“Had to run around twice as long cause Lance couldn’t figure out where the drop was and then by the time we got there we almost got chased by the cops and then the Serpents showed up; which means either we have shit luck or someone tipped them off.”<br/>“Jesus that sounds fucked.”<br/>“Mhhmm, the only good thing is that the Serpents ran into the cops so they got in trouble.”<br/>“Well that’s good.” You laugh a little and Kurtz pulls you forward to kiss you.</p><p> </p><p>Kurtz stays the night; and then the next week and you’re not sure if you’ve seen him leave the house for any amount of time; you want to ask but decide it’s better not too.<br/>He confesses a day later after you’ve made pizza and your hands are covered in oil; unable to turn the tap on to wash them.<br/>“Kurtzzzzzz… hellpppppp.” You whine and he rushes in a knife in his hand before you both start at each other and he puts it away laughing awkwardly  and turning the tap on for you.<br/>“Sorry.. Habit.” You nod and he offers a dish towel to dry your hands.<br/>“So when did that become a habit?”<br/>“When did you learn to make pizza dough by hand?” He counters and you shrug just like he does when you ask him about the knife again.</p><p> </p><p>When he comes in two days later bleeding and missing his knife and you’re stitching him up at the dining table when your parents interrupt.<br/>“What the fuck are you doing bringing a gang member into our house Y/N.”<br/>“He’s hurt…”<br/>“I don’t give a shit if he’s paying you a million bucks get him the fuck out!” You dad shoves the both of you towards the door and you can feel Kurtz wince as he tries not to put pressure onto his leg.<br/>“Dad at least-”</p><p> </p><p>“Out.” he hisses and you follow Kurtz his arm slung around your shoulders as you walk him around back and through the back door your mom’s standing at.<br/>“He will need to go; once his leg is healed.”<br/>“I know; thanks mom..”<br/>“It’s no problem dear; your father has never been a fan of those Ghoulies.”<br/>“Mom Kurtz isn’t a Ghoulie; he’s uhhh; well he’s not a Ghoulie; he floats between gangs.” You offer and she doesn’t say anything just helping the both of you upstairs and finishing cleaning Kurtz’s leg up. You cringe at the  bruise on your arm from where your father had grabbed and shoved you.</p><p> </p><p>Your father doesn’t say anything when Kurtz stays for the next couple of days; after the fifth day he starts glaring and huffing whenever Kurtz appears in his field of vision.<br/>“You know if you’re going to be dating a gang member might as well experience it first hand.” You frown when you dad makes an offhand comment and you’re shocked when you enter your living room to find a few serpents and Ghoulies glaring at each other.<br/>“Is this some weird attempt to turn me against Kurtz? He’s not even in either of these gangs..” You glare and your dad nods.</p><p> </p><p>“I know; you’re going to go through their trials; to show you how shit gang life is.”<br/>“Dad that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever…” You trail off when one of the Ghoulies grabs yours arms and you’re about to scream when Kurtz shoves himself between you and the gangs; carefully turning around when they move so you’re facing the door which he nudges you slightly and you step closer towards with him; you tug his arm as both of you run out your father following and glaring as you edge closer to Kurtz car.</p><p> </p><p><em>“I am hurt and I am angry, but I will never become as terrible as you.”</em> Kurtz shouts to your father and it’s the last thing you hear before you both drive off.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Distraction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kurtz/Reader; no specific plot</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I want to take you on a date.” You look up from the book you’re reading to stare at Kurtz.<br/>“A date?”<br/>“Yeah, a proper one. Like Pop’s; you know the whole burger and shake date special they have.” He grins at you and you flush slightly.<br/>“Why do you want to take me on a date?”<br/>“Because i love you. Besides you haven’t shown up at Riverdale High yet; so it would be a chance for me to show you off.”<br/>“After the football game then?” He leans over the chair and kisses you.<br/>“You know me so well.”</p><p> </p><p>He’d made a half joking comment about you wearing something revealing and you’d assured him anything you’d be wearing would be indecent in order to shock the Riverdale students.<br/>You were sure whatever you’d choose to wear would be a bit much for the Northsiders but you decided to go a little bit further; putting on the jacket you’d taken from a Serpent and half destroyed  over the crop top and fishnets. You debate rolling your skirt up but decide to leave it the ripped tights you’re wearing cover enough.</p><p> </p><p>”Do you think this is revealing enough?” You bat your eyes at Kurtz and he swallows nodding.<br/>“We should go.” He hisses glancing at the clock and you giggle confused as he pulls you onto the back of his bike.<br/>“Do we have a reservation?”<br/>“No but if I stayed in there we wouldn’t be leaving the house.” You grin into his shoulder.<br/>“Well Pop’s is open twenty four hours right?”<br/>“Yes; but the Riverdale kids won’t be there for long.”<br/>“Are you implying we’d be late if we stayed back at home?” You don’t finish grinning as he speeds up to avoid answering the question.</p><p> </p><p>”Welcome to Pop’s. He smirks at the waitress and you can’t help but laugh as her eyes widen as she catches sight of you. You can already feel the stares and you lounge by Kurtz waiting for someone to say something or move. No one does and you settle into the booth feeling everyone’s eyes on you as you order.<br/>“What’s your end goal here?”<br/>“To show off my girl and go back to the house, enjoy your company and then go to school with you tomorrow and show you the wonderful utopia that is Riverdale High.” he grins and you can feel his hand on your leg before he pulls back focusing on his burger like nothing happened.<br/>“You do know that leg touch; that game you’re playing won’t end well for you.”<br/>“Who said it was a game?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well it has to be; if you think you can just play me like one of the Snakes you’re hanging around at school. Your drawn on jacket is cute by the way.” You grin and he leans over the table to kiss you.<br/>“Fine I’ll be decent since we’re in public.”<br/>-”Good, now since you’re paying; since this is a date, what’s the most expensive milkshake I can order.” You chuckle when he grins pointing down the menu towards the bottom of the laminated page.<br/>“A belgian chocolate brownie milkshake; sounds delicious.”<br/>“Mhmm.” He agrees and you arch an eyebrow at him.<br/>“You don’t think so?”</p><p> </p><p>“Much rather taste you.” You can hear the annoyed noises from a bunch of the customers and you grin sliding from the booth over to sit on his lap.<br/>“Aww babe; you’re so sweet; I might have to skip the shake if you’ll be my dessert.” He grins at you and you lean to kiss him; you note he’s paid and laugh when he picks you up to carry you out.<br/>“So was that enjoyable?” You ask him before he starts his bike up.</p><p>“Wonderful.” He hums and you nudge his chin.</p><p>“Eye up here, and keep yours on the road so we get home in one piece.”</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Family Matters Pt 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pt 2 Family Matters; Kurtz and you go ‘on the run’</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’d been surprised when Kurtz had pulled up to an actual house; flicking out a key you’d never seen to open the door. He limps slightly but gestures around.<br/>“Welcome home.”<br/>“You own a house?” You stare in shock and he shakes his head.<br/>“No it’s my older brothers; he got the family house when our parents died so he lets me stay here.”<br/>“Jesus what the fuck does he do that lets him keep two houses.”<br/>“Drug dealer; also works for the DEA when he gets bored.”<br/>“Wait, he deals drugs and works for the DEA? How do they not catch him??”<br/>“Well he’s pretty smart but anytime he does get caught they let him off since he gives them information on other dealers. It’s more valuable for them to have him out than in prison.”<br/>“Okay that’s fucked up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Never said it wasn’t; besides if he did go to prison he’d just get everyone in there addicted and in debt to him so it works out way cheaper for the government in the long run to let him run around; hence why I get the house.” You nod watching as he slumps on the couch.<br/>“I’m sorry about dragging you away from your family; you can go back if you want…”<br/>“No I want to stay.”</p><p> </p><p>“You sure? This place is a mess.” He shakes his head swallowing “I’m a mess.” He mumbles quieter and you sit next to him arm wrapping around his shoulders.<br/>“I don’t think you are; but you’re mine; whatever you think of yourself is what I want of you.” You smile at him and he nods looking in your eyes before he kisses you.<br/>“So we have the entire house to do whatever we want with?” You grin and he grins back.</p><p> </p><p>Your phone ringing wakes you up and you hisses when you have to stand up and the brightness blinds you.<br/>“Hey mom, I’m good staying at a friends house; I’m sorry for storming off; dad was just a little extreme.” You listen to her assure you that you’re welcome back home but she does advise you staying away for a few days just to let your father calm down.<br/>“Mom he was gonna throw Kurtz and I to the serpents or Ghoulies; they could’ve actually killed us!” You hang up after she apologizes once more and then you return to the bed groaning when Kurtz nudges your shoulder.<br/>“I’m getting breakfast you want the usual?” You nod debating going back to bed but you’d remembered him saying the house will probably need to be cleaned so you figure you might as well get started.</p><p> </p><p>You’re surprised at how clean the place is. You’ve mostly been folding various blankets and dusting any surface you can. You’re debating running a load of laundry; almost completely throw blankets when Kurtz returns grinning and holding up the Pop’s take out bags.<br/>“There’s stuff to make pancakes in here you know that right..” Kurtz wrinkles his nose as he dusts of a couple of plates and rinses them.<br/>“I wouldn’t trust it.”<br/>“It’s pancake mix I’m pretty sure that never expires….oh my god.”<br/>“What?” Kurtz looks up from where he’s drowning his pancakes in syrup; he squints.<br/>“Does that say June 2003? Jesus I’m pretty sure that was before my brother went to jail the first time.” He pauses watching as you throw the entire box and half of the cupboards contents into the trash bag.</p><p> </p><p>“So you’re welcome for the Pop’s pancakes.”<br/>“Did you buy yourself your own syrup bottle?”<br/>“Yeah; I use a lot…” he shrugs a little and you stare at the almost empty bottle he sets down.<br/>“I’m pretty sure you’re just drinking syrup and the pancakes have dissolved into it.”<br/>“Probably; but it keeps me off Jangle so there’s that.”<br/>“You use Jangle?”<br/>“Used to.”<br/>”What made you change?”<br/>“You.”</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Infighting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kurtz/Reader; they get into a fight and then have make-up sex</p><p>TW: Smut at the end</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’d taken the fight you and Kurtz had particularly hard, you weren’t sure why, the both of you had always fought, always taken stabs and blows at one another and your shitty life choices; apparently the biggest shitty thing Kurtz thought you’d done was date him; and so the two of you were currently broken up; you’d hoped it wouldn’t last long. Of course when you see him flirting with some Vixen you decide the best course of revenge is to just pick a fight with one of the other Ghoulies; you wouldn’t bother with flirting, they’d take the invite to a fight more seriously than any attempt at a jealousy fucking.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold Kurtz back.” You say, wiping the blood from your lip, wincing as you’re sure you’re going to get a black eye.</p><p>“Hold Kurtz back?” He questions and you cringe as Kurtz looks at you then to the ghouls.</p><p>“Which one of you did that.” The ghoul’s start to look to the ground shivering slightly; the Serpent’s freeze watching as all of the ghoulies seem to be terrified.</p><p>“We didn’t know, we swear we thought-“</p><p>“Kurtz.” Your voice is soft and his glare melts as he looks at you.</p><p>“Hey, how’re you?”</p><p>“You still doing Jangle?”</p><p>“No hello?” He laughs but cuts it off watching you nervously. The serpents just look confused. You walk up, fisting your hands into the jacket and tugging him downwards you knee him in the stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“I deserved that, I do it occasionally.” You turn to the Serpents.</p><p>“He’s usually high.” You watch him for a moment, his eyes normal and no tremor.</p><p>“He’s faking it to freak you out. He’s not high right now.”</p><p>“He was high when he tried to kill me.” Fang you think his name is, spits.</p><p>You turn and Kurtz physically shrinks back.</p><p>“You tried to kill a serpent??”</p><p>“Keyword tried.” He grins trying to appease you; you glare sighing and shaking your head.The Serpents seem to smile behind their hands and towards the ground.</p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“We didn’t know Kurtz was whipped, is all.” You arch an eyebrow and Kurtz shakes his head.</p><p>“He’s not whipped; we’d have to be together for him to be whipped.”</p><p> </p><p>Kurtz doesn’t look up from where he’s lounging on your bed.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“We have to be together for me to be whipped..” he laughs and you scowl.</p><p>“I was trying to protect you!”</p><p>“Protect me from the Serpents? Oh like you could…” he leans forward and you narrow your eyes.</p><p>“Is that a challenge?” His hand closes over your wrist and he jerks you back onto the bed.</p><p>“Do you want it to be?” You grin back but he cuts it off with a kiss hand already pushing down your skirt.</p><p>“If I had known me pretending to hate you was a turn on I’d have done so much worse..”</p><p>”Oh really, well maybe we should try again tomorrow.” He smirks and you bite your lip.</p><p> </p><p>“Or we could-” You don’t finish his hand moving up your thigh and against your underwear before you can say anything.</p><p>“You know I hate it when we fight baby.” He mumbles as he pulls you against him so you’re straddling him.</p><p>“Well maybe if you were such a massive dick and stoned half the time we were together.. We wouldn’t have fought.” You snap stuttering at the end has his fingers brush the side of your underwear.</p><p> </p><p>“How ever can I make it up to you?” He smirks and you try to look unimpressed at him, but fail, his fingers pushing past your underwear.</p><p>“Maybe if you actually put your mouth to use instead of talking about it..” He grins and laughs a little, his voice is lower, slightly strained and you want to ask why but instead he just runs his fingers back and forth over your clit.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Deal With The Devil Pt 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You find out Kurtz made a deal to keep you out of the ghoulies if he does what they say</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“No.” Malachai speaks before you can and you frown.</p><p>“You don’t even-“</p><p>“You want to join the Ghouls. No.”</p><p>“Why?” He smirks.</p><p>“Because hell is no place for a lady, and I really don’t think you wanna find out how you have to fit in here.” You narrow your eyes.</p><p>“You let Kurtz join.”</p><p>“Because he’s useful.”</p><p>“I can be-“</p><p>“No. You ask once more and I tell Kurtz exactly why you’ve been hanging around; trying to get into our ranks. You really think he’d want you in the middle of everything we do?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not his choice to make for me!” Malachai smirks laughing.</p><p>“You need to learn exactly what you mean to Kurtz then.” Malachai grins and leans forward, you step forward again and hiss a little.</p><p>“Tell me.”</p><p>“I see why he cares for you.”</p><p>“We’re-” You start but then Penny appears.</p><p>“There you are Y/N. Come on let’s get lunch, you’re not joining the Ghouls.”</p><p>“You’re the worst aunt ever.” You huff over the burger and she tugs it towards her.</p><p>“So you don’t want lunch?”</p><p>“No I do, I just.”</p><p>“You’re upset that Malachai won’t let you play house with your gangbanger boyfriend?”</p><p>“I want to help Kurtz! And Malachai won’t let me!!!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know kid, just, maybe think about what happens to girls when they join gangs….”</p><p>“Kurtz wouldn’t-”</p><p>“Exactly, he’d get the shit kicked out of him and then made to watch while Malachai dictates a ‘fitting’ punishment for you and him.”</p><p>“So what I just deal with not being under the Ghoulies protection.”</p><p>“Well that’s the safest for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Penny decides to throw a welcome back party; you’re not entirely sure what it’s meant to accomplish all you know is it’s most of the ghouls that fled to avoid prison, or the ones that got out on parole. You know this also means you’ll be in the “kiddie corner” as your aunt puts it. Aka the spare bedroom; the only room that locks from the inside. She nervously drills you about self defense and you’re curious enough to ask why.</p><p>“They find any weakness, they’ll crush it. You’re weakness.”</p><p>“I’m not weak.” You snap and she nods.</p><p>“I didn’t say that, you are weakness, Malachai can’t have his best shot at getting into the serpents ruined.”</p><p>“Kurtz won’t notice anything happening to me.”</p><p>“That boy notices when your nail polish chips, he’d notice if a hair was out of place.”</p><p> </p><p>”Hey Y/N, can you, sorry.” He jerks back, keeping his eyes covered and you turn zipping the hoodie up.</p><p>“You can look. What’s up?”</p><p>“At the party later, one of the older Ghoulies, he uh, told me I had to prove myself..”</p><p>“Do you need my help?” Your eyes light up and he shakes his head swallowing.</p><p>“No I’m supposed to, it’s not good, I don’t want your help..”</p><p> </p><p>“Babe, please let me help?”</p><p>“No Y/N, it’s they’re really fucked up, it’s like, really fucked up I can’t… I have to hurt you…”</p><p>“If I know about it, then it won’t hurt.” You trace your fingers up his arm, and he sighs.</p><p>“I can’t tell you details, or they’ll know but, I’ll let you know okay…”</p><p>“Okay.” You grin at him before leaning forward smiling into the kiss he gives you.</p><p> </p><p>“Kurtz, what did you want me to-“ You don’t make a sound as Kurtz’s hand slides over your mouth.</p><p>“Okay listen, I know I fucked up, but can you just pretend to do one thing for me? I’ll leave you alone after if you want just please.” You know this was the signal for however he was supposed to hurt you, you nod at him.</p><p>“What do I-“Kurtz sighs in relief, nudging you down despite having almost pinned you against the wall.</p><p>“On your knees.” He mumbles into your ear and you nod as you sink down.</p><p>“Fuck.” He hisses as you look up at him.</p><p>“I can’t exactly do anything with your pants on can I?” You quip; an understanding of where this is going. He chokes slightly nodding.</p><p>“Here, let me.” You mumble, fingers undoing the button and sliding the zipper of his jeans.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” He murmurs; you roll your eyes trying your best to avoid thinking about what’s going to happen.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do whatever you want after this I swear, I promise Y/N.” You can’t help the shiver that runs up your spine or the thought of you in his position. You look up once more before tugging his boxers down with his jeans. You hum a tiny bit relieved you won’t have to choke too much if you go through with it. You’re about to meet the tip when the door flies open and Malachai looks furious in the doorway.</p><p>“WHAT THE FUCK MALACHAI!?!” Kurtz spins around yanking his pants up snarling.</p><p>“YOU’RE ASKING ME WHAT’S GOING ON? HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT YOU’RE MAKING HER DO?” Malachai snarls back and you watch as Kurtz shields you.</p><p>“You leaver her-“</p><p> “I’ll leave her out of this when you remember the entire part of our agreement.”</p><p>“Agreement?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah Y/N, the entire reason I don’t let you join the ghoul’s is cause this fucking idiot made a deal with me that if he joined up I wouldn’t let you come to harm, But this fucking idiot descided to listen to fucking Lance of all people when he said there was some dumb rule where he had to- I don’t even want to know what he said to you.”</p><p>“You called him a fucking idiot like seven times…” You comment and Malachai turns looking exasperated at you.</p><p>“Because he is! He was going to- whatever that was.” He throws his hands out and you laugh a little.</p><p>“Oh don’t tell me that was- god you two are fucked up.”</p><p>“The door locks from the inside Malachai! No one was supposed to bother us till you came traipsing in here to play the saviour.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be lucky it was me and not her aunt.” Malachai leers a little and Kurtz pales slightly.</p><p>“Mals come back and join the-” Penny appears in the doorway and Kurtz shivers as she glares at him.</p><p>“What the fuck were you doing in here.” Kurtz carefully turns away not looking her in the eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Hanging out with my girlfriend.”</p><p>“Hanging out you were practically..” Malachai starts but Penny pushes him back.</p><p>“Y/N, your boyfriend and I, need to have a chat.” You sulk, following Malachai out of the room for the moment.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Soul</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kurtz/Reader, Soulmate AU, you gain the injuries of your soulmate and can hear their voice when they sing</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You’re watching unimpressed as Malachai throws you a plastic bag filled with clothes.</p><p>“Come on, we have to get to school in ten. Your bag is in the car and-Christ you get the bad send-off?” He watches as you move jerkily, deep purple smudging under your eyes, bruises on your wrists and your shoulders.</p><p>“You ever been slammed into a brick wall twice over, after getting used as a fucking punching bag, strung up on a hook and everything?” He swallows any comment, opening the bag and handing you your clothes, you tug the crop top on and the flannel over it, before he snorts gesturing to the faint handprints he can see against your hips as you tug the shorts up.</p><p>“Aww poor thing, are you sore?” He laughs.</p><p>“You owe me so many shakes from that place you brought me lunch from.”</p><p>“Pop’s. How hard is it to remember that name?” he rolls his eyes pointing to the back to show you where your bag is, you slide in next to it and buckle your seatbelt.</p><p> </p><p>“Riverdale High, by the way. Southside got shut down while you were in the slammer.” You nod shouldering your bag as Lance starts explaining most of the students.</p><p>“Archie and his friends are the goody two shoes group, well besides Jughead, and his gang, although they’re much less violent then the Ghouls.They have some members to watch out for, Sweet Pea, Fangs, oh and Kurtz, although he’s not really a snake. And then Cheryl and Toni with the pretty poisons or whatever game they’re playing.” You nod letting him continue to explain how a few of them had found their soulmates. He continues to talk and fill you in more about the gangs and the tentative truce he’s formed with the Serpents. He parks two blocks away and you give him a two finger salute.</p><p>“Thanks for the lift, now I have to go meet Betty Cooper for my tour? The blonde one that’s with Lodge right?” You look to him for confirmation and he nods.</p><p>“Glad to see you were paying attention, do you have other clothes? You’ll get dress-coded in that.”</p><p>“You didn’t bring me anything else.” You hiss at him as you cross the street moving towards the school.</p><p> </p><p>You’re letting Betty pull you around you can feel eyes everywhere and you wonder if it’s from the bruises peeking out or the clothes. Maybe it’s simply because you’re the shiny new student, everyone unsure how you’ll act.</p><p>“Not now I’m giving a tour.” Betty breezes by a redhead boy, Archie, your brain supplies. You watch as Betty’s eyes falter at Veronica a blush rising as you spot the identical hickeys on their necks.</p><p>“People open about soul mates here?”</p><p>“Most are, everyone wants to find their one, ya know?” You nod pretending the anxiety in your chest is from the new school not the dread of someone rejecting you. She prattles on carefully explaining your schedule and is halfway through giving you dirt on your teachers when Cheryl walks up flanked by the rest of the River Vixens.</p><p>“You simply have to try out.” She smiles, eyes roaming down your outfit.</p><p>“You seem in shape enough, we can always use more trainee’s” You find yourself smiling up at her.</p><p>“I’d love to.” You swear you can hear Lance scream in the hallway. You laugh to yourself.</p><p> </p><p>She beams and wanders off, you can see Ethel nervously talking to Chuck Clayton, he’s leering over her in a way that is making her uncomfortable, Betty smiles apologetically at you.</p><p>“Sorry let me just pop over and-“</p><p>“Hey, Ethel right?” You step forward waving to her slightly.</p><p>“We share history, I’m new, in case you couldn’t tell and I was wondering if you could lend me your notes Betty said you’d have no problem doing that and-“ You turn as if seeing Chuck for the first time.</p><p>“Oh hello, are you her soulmate?”</p><p>“No but I might be yours. Chuck Clayton.” Your eyes light up.</p><p>“Oh, Ethel would you excuse us for a second, Betty wanted to ask you something.” You wait till she’s safely out of the way; you can see the rest of the football team hovering you smirk, licking your lips.</p><p>“So since you’re new I’m guessing you haven’t heard about me and my-“ You grip his wrist, your nails cutting into the fleshy under part, digging them into his wrist as he jerks it back. You stumble back pretending to be shocked already feeling someone’s hand on your shoulder. Betty pulling you away from Chuck, who straightens up and glares at you.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course you’re friends with Cooper; you should have seen-“</p><p>“Chuck, let me give you some semi-friendly advice, since I’m new, and you clearly haven’t heard of me, or where I’ve been for the past few months.” He arches an eyebrow and you can tell a small crowd is gathering.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter how well you think you’re hiding it, you hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it; I will rip you apart.”</p><p>“Oh really you and-“ You snort as he goes quiet feeling Lance glaring from somewhere, just enough for only Chuck to see.</p><p>“You think Betty has darkness, I pity when you meet mine.” You laugh and he turns away from you as you return to Betty and Ethel’s side.</p><p>“You two okay? You look a little shocked?”</p><p>“We’ve never seen him retreat like that, that was incredible.” You smile and turn your head to your schedule when the bell rings.</p><p> </p><p>By the time lunch rolls around the news of Chuck’s retreat had spread.</p><p>“Talk of the town you are, no clue what you did but he’s freaked.” Veronica nods to you and you sit on the edge of the couch watching everyone settle into their usual seats. You stare shocked at Kevin Keller.</p><p>“Yes?” He tilts his head as you look away smile on your lips.</p><p>“That scar on your eyebrow isn’t yours… I didn’t think I was ever going to meet you, pleasure’s all mine Preppy.” You laugh when his head whips up.</p><p>“You know Joaquin?”</p><p>“Yeah we used to bunk together, he’s an angel, amazing talker got me out of soooo much trouble in, where I used to go to school.”</p><p>“Oh you’re from the Southside?” Kevin asks, just as Cheryl returns with the Vixens.</p><p> </p><p>“Who’s from the southside?” You cringe at Toni and Sweet Pea’s voices.</p><p>“This one here and-“</p><p>“Never seen them before in my life.” Toni states, Sweet Pea looks at you, his eyes widening as he pulls Toni and Fangs behind him.</p><p>“Someone we stay away from. All of us.” You raise an eyebrow at him. You can feel a hand on your shoulder and sigh.</p><p>“Yeah coming, what’s up?” You mumble as Lance moves you away and towards the outside area. You don’t look back at the group hearing other voices joining in on the confusion as you walk away. Lance slams you against the wall smirking.</p><p>“Good first day so far?”</p><p>“With you dragging me off during lunch, no, but for the most part it’s been manageable.”</p><p>“What was with threatening Chuck, he do something bad?”</p><p>“Well he’s basically the head male; gotta take him down before I do anything else. Duh.” You slide out from under his arms that cage you; you don’t flinch when he slams them back around you.</p><p>“No. You are not in that yard anymore that shit will have consequences, they’ll want you to prove that you’re dark.” You look unimpressed and nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah and? I can doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough to let them goad me into it. I’m not you.” You slip from under his arms, scowling as he catches your wrist tugging you back, you know someone sees with how they move slightly forward, black hair, potentially Reggie from the football team, one of the safe ones Lance had mentioned. You turn back twisting Lance’s own weight against him and pinning him against the wall, scraping his cheeks against the brick. You lean over your mouth against his ear.</p><p>“I am not your plaything, nor am I you. You want to try the usual shit, you’ll be getting my real response.” Lance coughs snarling as you walk towards the school once again.</p><p>You sit back next to Betty who frowns and looks to Jughead.</p><p>“Kurtz bailing on us again, said he got a lead to who his soulmate is and wants to find them soon.”</p><p>“Kurtz? He another Serpent?”</p><p>“No, our friend, his soulmate, well we all think they’re being abused, he gets bruises, cuts, and scars all the time, he’s really worried about them. He’s not exactly the friendliest but we still want to help his soulmate at least.”</p><p>“How can he hope to find them, like the world is pretty big?”</p><p> </p><p>“He knows they’re here in Riverdale.”</p><p>“How?” You look confused and Josie, Archie’s soulmate beams.</p><p>“Me. My songs are pretty much only played around this area, he heard them singing once and knows they have to be around here. Hey Reg, what’s up?” Josie turns to smile at Reggie Mantle who walks up.</p><p>“You okay?” He nods to you and you turn smiling.</p><p>“Yeah I’m good thanks Reggie, I appreciate it.”</p><p>“You sure? Seemed like Lance has it out for you.”</p><p>“Lance was messing with you?” You watch the Serpent’s tense looking back to the voice that spoke.</p><p>“Hey Kurtz, guessing that lead was no good.” The boy nods as he sits next to Jughead.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah just like the others, now what is this about Lance causing havoc?”</p><p>“Chaos actually. It’s his thing, he likes to pretend he’s the new Malachai, mostly just a rip off to be honest.” Sweet Pea nods to Kurtz and you watch as he rubs his own wrist.</p><p>“You okay?” You can see a bruise peeking out from his collar, he nods shrugging.</p><p>“My soulmate, they get in a lot of fights.”</p><p>“Fights? You should probably have a word about that then.” You laugh a little and he scowls.</p><p>“Little hard when I can’t talk to them yeah.”</p><p>“You can sing right? Sing-ask.”</p><p>“Sing-ask?”</p><p>“Yeah like you don’t make up a song but you use an already existing song to form out a ‘letter’ of sorts, you can’t use it for places but its good for planning meet-ups. Where are you-“You look confused as Kurtz vanishes.</p><p>“He’s embarrassed of his singing voice.” You nod, frowning when you can hear your soulmate singing.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” You tilt your head at Veronica as she asks.</p><p>“Yeah, my soulmate likes to sing on lunch break. It’s nice.”</p><p>“Do you do check in songs?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, I usually don’t get to sing much, my dad’s pretty strict.” You bite down the rule you want to spit up. Singing leads to identification; which leads to jail.</p><p>“Oh that’s so cute! Do you have specific songs for specific times of the day? Like Betty and I used to sing goodnight to each other.” Veronica places her hand over Betty’s who blushes.</p><p>“We have a couple, mainly just comfort songs, I think my soulmate deals with a lot. He’s always sad.” You shrug listening to him start and cut off halfway through the song. You laugh a little.</p><p>“It seems like he wants to say something, but he’s failing I guess.” You laugh again closing your eyes and focusing on what he’s singing. You can’t help but smile laughing once again as the half song ends.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Betty and Kevin’s eyes spark.</p><p>“Apparently my soulmate wants to meet up, we’ve tried meeting up in the past but my dad found out and kept me home. He thinks I’m too young to find my soulmate; that I still need to mature and grow-up before we meet. I think he’s just scared about me dating.” You cover the truth, your father is scared, not of you dating, but of exposure, you know you can’t exactly bring your soulmate back to the house of the dead, back into the Ghoulies without him first being vetted.</p><p>“We can help you sneak out!! Just say you’re staying with me or Betty.” Archie nods excitedly and you smile.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll call him now.” You pull your phone out, calling your brother instead. You cringe when you can hear him outside the student lounge.</p><p>“Hey, uhh, can I stay over at a friends today? I have to work on a biology lab. Her name is-“</p><p>“Call him yourself.” He hangs up and you glare.</p><p>“Did he say no?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, he said he was busy, I’ll call during Biology then.” You smile excitedly.</p><p>You’re working on the lab in Biology when you step into the lab closet after the teacher said you could call.</p><p>“Hey, I was just wondering if-“</p><p>“You wanna stay at a friends for the night right? Your brother called and told me. Fine. On one condition.”</p><p>“Of course.” You know well enough not to answer before hearing but the thought of meeting your soulmate has you willing to take whatever punishment he deems fit.</p><p>“I pick you up in the morning, now which house?” You suck in a breath.</p><p>“Let me get her address and-“</p><p>“Her name is all I need.”</p><p>“Betty Cooper.”</p><p> </p><p>“Glad you’re making useful friends.” He drawls before he hands up, you retreat back to your seat shooting a thumbs up to Betty.</p><p>“He just said he wanted to pick me up in the morning.” Betty smiles.</p><p>“That won’t be a problem we can just explain to your soulmate when you meet him.”</p><p>“We?”</p><p>“I’m not letting you go to meet your soulmate alone, what if they try to hurt you?” I can hurt them more. You smile at her.</p><p>“Thanks Betty.”</p><p> </p><p>“Besides Veronica and I could use a date, where are we meeting?” You laugh a little as a chorus of Pop goes the weasel plays again as it had been for the past hour.</p><p>“Somewhere called Pop I think? Well Pop goes the weasel so.” You shrug and Betty laughs.</p><p>“Oh that’s clever, is there a time?”</p><p>-It’s a quarter after one I’m a little- Pop goes- It’s a quarter after one I’m a little- Pop goes-</p><p>“Quarter after one, no clue if its in the morning or not. Since tomorrow is Saturday.” Betty smiles.</p><p>“Well Pop’s it is, we can get a late night burger, hopefully he means one am.”</p><p> </p><p>You’re trying not to fall asleep, Betty had insisted you both show up in your pyjama’s and you’d been thankful when she offered for you to change in the bathroom, you wipe the last smudges of the makeup from your neck hoping she wont comment on the lingering finger prints around your throat. She doesn’t as she pulls you to Pop’s mindful of your wrist. You try your best to bite down the tang of rejection, you know will bloom once your father picks you up tomorrow.</p><p>“So who’re we looking for?” You blink at her shrugging.</p><p>“Someone with this.” You tilt your neck up exposing the full handprint over your throat.</p><p>“O-Okay.” She chokes a little and you nod in understanding.</p><p>-You’re about to sit in a booth when a hand waves you both over.</p><p>“Kurtz, hey what’re you doing?”</p><p>“Following a lead, my soulmate kept singing Pop goes the weasel, either they were babysitting or were trying to respond to the message I left. Hey Veronica.” He nods as she walks up smiling.</p><p> </p><p>“Betty I got us a booth so Y/N can wait for her soulmate, on her own.” She nods to Kurtz who arches an eyebrow.</p><p>“You’re waiting for your soulmate?” He leans forward slightly.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ve been listening to, it’s a quarter after one, I’m a little drunk and I need you now, on repeat for three hours, so I guess this was the appropriate time. God forbid my soulmate couldn’t just mean the afternoon.” Kurtz snorts.</p><p>“Your soulmate a night owl then?” You sit across from him shrugging.</p><p>“I’ve probably given him that impression of me. My dad’s super strict to say the least.”</p><p>“Strict is a funny way to say abusive, unless he didn’t give you that?” he tilts his head up towards your neck and you catch the hand print on his.</p><p>“Oh my god. Shit.” You shift in the seat looking nervously at him.</p><p>“What? Is it the Serpent thing?”</p><p>“My dad, oh my god.” You look up wide eyed once more.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the like gargoyle gang guy……” He reaches out hand brushing yours.</p><p>“You don’t have a problem with that.”</p><p>“My dad, fucking- I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry.” You squeeze your eyes shut and can feel him slide over to your side of the booth, his arm wrapping around you.</p><p>“Hey come on, your dad won’t know I’m into gargoyles, it’ll be fine.”</p><p>“He adopted me when I was five.” You blurt out, and Kurtz smiles.</p><p> </p><p>“See you’re not even related to him, you’ll be fine I promise.” He offers a crooked smile.</p><p>“My brother, well adopted brother, Lance. We grew up at the sister’s of quiet mercy, we-“ You cut yourself off shaking your head and curling into his side sighing.</p><p>“This is nice.” You let yourself stay curled in his arms trying your best not to think of the scars your father left marking you and Lance as his.</p>
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